Studies in Effect of Methyl Methacrylate to Butylacrylate Ratio on the Properties of TiO2/poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butylacrylate) Core–Shell Composite Nanoparticles Prepared by Microemulsion Polymerization

Abstract

Abstract

Titanium dioxide, as a core, was coupled with the poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate) using amino propyltriethoxy silane as a coupling agent. A two-stage semi-continuous microemulsion polymerization method was used for the synthesis of these core–shell nanoparticles. Ratio of methyl methacrylate to butyl acrylate was varied in the shell of the nanoparticles and the prepared core–shell composite nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy and particle size analyzer along with rheological analysis. It was found that the glass transition temperature and percentage crystallinity decreased whereas the particle size increased with increase in concentration of butyl acrylate in the shell of the core–shell structure.

Keywords: titanium dioxide, amino propyltriethoxy silane, microemulsion polymerization, core–shell nanoparticles, poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate)