Surface Morphology Signature of Critical Separated Length and Glass Transition Temperature during Seeded Dispersion Polymerization

The properties of colloids are considerably affected by particles’ surface morphology. In this work, for understanding the mechanism of roughness formation in polymeric core–shell (CS) particles, the surface morphology of synthesized CS particles through seeded dispersion polymerization (SDP) in the presence of poly­(methyl methacrylate) seeds was investigated. The results revealed that shell polymers with higher solubility parameters (δ) and glass transition temperatures (T_g) had a rougher surface. These parameters directly affect the time needed for chain deformation, which is a critical parameter in controlling the final morphology. We suggested a relation based on these parameters to predict the surface morphology (smoothness or roughness) of CS particles synthesized through SDP in water.