Issue 6, 2013

Preparation of free-standing thermosensitive composite gel particles incorporating ionic liquids

Abstract

Composite gel particles consisting of 2-phenylethyl methacrylate (PhEMA)-vinyl toluene (VT) copolymer (P(PhEMA-VT)) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were prepared by seeded polymerization of MMA in the presence of P(PhEMA-VT)/1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([Bmim][TFSA], IL) gel particles, in which P(PhEMA-VT) exhibited lower critical solution temperature (LCST)-type phase transition behavior in IL. The particles obtained at 70 °C (above the LCST) adopted a phase-separated snowman-like shape and clearly exhibited volume–phase transition behavior in which the P(PhEMA-VT) phase reduced in size and the PMMA phase increased in size above the LCST. The P(PhEMA-VT) phase exhibited LCST-type volume–phase transition behavior and separation of IL occurred. In contrast, the PMMA phase was swollen with IL separated from the P(PhEMA-VT) phase, in which the PMMA phase could act as a preserver of IL. Interestingly, the composite gel particles exhibited similar volume–phase transition behavior in both air and vacuum without leakage of IL from the gel particles, which should be free-standing thermosensitive gel particles.

Graphical abstract: Preparation of free-standing thermosensitive composite gel particles incorporating ionic liquids

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
17 Oct 2012
Accepted
05 Dec 2012
First published
18 Dec 2012

Soft Matter, 2013,9, 1761-1765

Preparation of free-standing thermosensitive composite gel particles incorporating ionic liquids

T. Suzuki, H. Ichikawa, M. Nakai and H. Minami, Soft Matter, 2013, 9, 1761 DOI: 10.1039/C2SM27393D

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements