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Nanostructure Changes upon Polymerization of Aqueous and Organic Phases in Organized Mixtures
journal contribution
posted on 2016-09-09, 00:00 authored by Cecile Noirjean, Cedric Vancaeyzeele, Sophie Bourcier, Fabienne Testard, Frederic Vidal, David Carriere, Odile FichetThe nanostructure
of a microemulsion can be strongly affected by
the liquid-to-solid transition during polymerization. Here, we examined
the evolution of nanostructures of different ternary mixtures, including
two microemulsions and a single lamellar phase that upon polymerization
are quantitatively studied by SAXS/WAXS and DSC experiments systematically
performed before and after the polymerization of both aqueous and
organic phases. Samples are mixtures of the poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic
acid) network as the aqueous phase and poly(hexyl methacrylate) as
the organic phase stabilized by Brij35 surfactant. Upon polymerization,
the surfactant is excluded from the water/oil interface and crystallizes,
strongly changing the nanostructure of samples where it is the main
component. In samples where the aqueous phase is the main component,
only a few changes in structure are observed upon polymerization.
This study demonstrates quantitatively the possibility to preserve
nanostructures during polymerization, thus inducing a templating effect.