• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.637-643
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• 2008

A combination of magnetic and temperature-responsive properties in the same polymer composites is expected to increase their potential applications in the biomedical field. Accordingly, micron-sized magnetite/polystyrene/poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate-ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate), which are abbreviated as $Fe_3O_4$/PS/P (DM-EGDM) composite polymer particles, were prepared by the seeded copolymerization of DM and EGDM in the presence of magnetite/polystyrene ($Fe_3O_4$/PS) particles. $Fe_3O_4$/PS/P(DM-EGDM) composite particles with magnetic properties showed a temperature-sensitive phase transition at approximately $31^{\circ}C$. The adsorption behavior of the low molecular weight emulsifiers and trypsin (TR) as biomolecules were examined on $Fe_3O_4$/PS/P(DM-EGDM) composite polymer particles at different temperatures. The native conformation of TR was followed by measuring the specific activity under various adsorption conditions. The activity of the adsorbed TR on composite polymer particles was higher than those of the tree TR and TR adsorbed on $Fe_3O_4$/PS particles.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.505-511
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• 2006

We tried to prepare polystyrene composite particles containing carbon black by suspension polymerization with water as a reaction medium. Hydrophobic silica was selected as a stabilizer and oil-soluble azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), as an initiator. All polymerization reactions were carried out at a fixed temperature of $75^{\circ}C$. Stabilizer concentration was varied from $0.17{\sim}3.33wt%$ compared to water, where particles with $7.96{\mu}m$ in average diameter were obtained at 1.57 wt% of stabilizer. Increase in divinylbenzene concentration, as a crosslinking agent, from $0.1{\sim}1.0 wt%$ compared to monomer exhibited a large increase in average particle diameter Incorporation of 1wt% of carbon black compared to monomer produced an increase in average diameter It is speculated that viscosity lower than that necessary to induce even dispersion of carbon black particles led to poor dispersion, and as a result, large particles. For a styrene mixture containing 3 wt% carton black compared to monomer, enhanced dispersion due to an increase in carbon black concentration reduced average particle diameters. For styrene mixtures containing 1 and 3 wt% carbon black compared to monomer, preparticles before polymerization and polymer composite particles after polymerization showed a similar tendency towards particle formation. When carbon black concentration compared to monomer was increased to 5 and 7 wt%, styrene mixtures exhibited a large increase in viscosity and thus better dispersion of carbon black particles, which led to a decrease in preparticle diameters. However, these particles experienced agglomeration in the polymerization process, and polystyrene composite particles increased in average diameter.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.2966-2970
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• 2012

Fullerene/polystyrene ($C_{60}$/PS) nano particle was prepared by using emulsion polymerization. Styrene and fullerene were emulsified in aqueous media in the presence of poly(N-vinyl pyridine) as an emulsion stabilizer, and polymerization was initiated by water soluble radical initiator, potassium persulfate. The obtained nano particles have an average diameter in the range of 400-500 nm. The fullerene contents in the nano particle can be controlled up to 15 wt % by varying the feed ratio, which was confirmed by themogravimetric analysis (TGA) and elemental analysis (EA). The structure and morphologies of the $C_{60}$/PS nano particles were examined by various analytical techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), electron diffraction (ED) pattern, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and UV spectroscopy. Unlike conventional $C_{60}$/PS particles initiated by organic free radical initiators, in which the fullerene is copolymerized forming a covalent bond with styrene monomer, the prepared $C_{60}$/PS nano particles contain pristine fullerene as secondary particles homogeneously distributed in the polystyrene matrix.

• Composites Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.31-35
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• 2008

In order to design light weight and high efficient electromagnetic wave absorbing materials, hollow magnetic particles have been introduced in this study. The electroless plating method has been utilized to coat Ni and Fe on the substrates of synthesized polystyrene particles of submicron size. Removing polystyrene particles by heat treatment resulted in hollow structures. Observation by SEM, TEM and EDS confirmed the surface morphology and coating thickness of Ni and Fe. Polymeric composites containing hollow particles were tested in order to compare the electromagnetic properties between Ni coated and Fe costed particles. The composite of 30 wt% Fe hollow particles showed the higher complex permeability than Ni hollow particles or the conventional barium ferrite particles.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.1345-1348
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• 2010

Highly monodisperse polystyrene (PS) nanospheres were fabricated by surfactant-free emulsion polymerization in water using styrene, 2,2'-azobis(2-methyl propionamidine) dihydrochloride (AIBA), and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP). The size and distribution of the PS nanospheres were systematically investigated in terms of initiator concentration, stabilizer concentration, reaction temperature, reaction time, and reactant concentration. With increasing AIBA initiator concentration, PS particle sizes are raised proportionally, and can be controlled from 120 to 380 nm. Particle sizes were reduced with increasing PVP concentration. This decrease occurs because a high PVP concentration leads to a large number of primary nuclei in the early stage of polymerization. When the reaction temperature increased, the sizes of the PS particles decrease slightly. The particles grew quickly during the initial reaction stage (1-3 h) and the growth rate became steady-state after 6 h. The PS sizes approximately doubled when the reactant (styrene, PVP, azo-initiator) concentrations were increased by a factor of eight.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.285-290
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• 2007

Ag nanoparticles were distributed onto polystyrene nanoparticle (PS-Ag) beads using two synthetic methodologies. In the first methodology, polystyrene (PS) beads were prepared via emulsion polymerization, with Ag nanoparticles subsequently loaded onto the surface of the PS beads. The polymerization of styrene was radiolytically induced in an ethanol (EtOH)/water medium, generating PS beads. Subsequently, Ag nanoparticles were loaded onto the PS beads via the reduction of Ag ions. The results from the morphological studies, using field emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM), reveal the PS particles were spherical and nanosized, and the average size of the PS spherical particles decreased with increasing volume % of water in the polymerization medium. The size of the PS spherical particles increases with increasing radiation dose for the polymerization. Also, the amount of Ag nanoparticle loading could be increased by increasing the irradiation dose for the reduction of the Ag ions. In the second methodology, the polymerization of styrene and reduction of Ag ions were simultaneously performed by irradiating a solution containing styrene and Ag ions in an EtOH/water medium. Interestingly, the Ag nanoparticles were preferentially homogeneously distributed within the PS particles (not on the surface of the PS particles). Thus, Ag nanoparticles were distributed onto the surface of the PS particles using the first approach, but into the PS clusters of the particles via the second. The antimicrobial efficiency of a cloth coated with the Ag-PS composite nanoparticles was tested against bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniase, for 100 water washing cycles.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 2008

Polystyrene/gold nanoparticle (PS/AuNP) composite fibers were fabricated using an electrospinning technique. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the diameters of the naphthalenethiol-capped gold nanoparticles (prior to incorporation into the PS fibers) ranged from 2 to 5 nm. UV-vis spectroscopy revealed the surface plasmon peaks of the gold nanoparticles centered at approximately 512 nm, indicating that nano-sized Au particles are well-dispersed in solution. This was consistent with the TEM observations. The electrospun nanofibers of PS/AuNP composites were approximately 60-3,000 nm in diameter. The surface morphology of the PS/AuNP composite and the dispersability of the Au nanoparticles inside of PS after electrospinning process were investigated by SEM and TEM. The thermal behavior of the pure PS and PS/AuNP nanocomposites and fibers were examined by DSC.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2010

Polymer core and metal shell composite particles have been prepared by the electroless nickel plating on the surface of monodisperse polystyrene microspheres. Various sizes of polystyrene particles with highly monodisperse state could be synthesized by controlling the dispersion medium in dispersion polymerization. Electroless nickel plating was performed on the polystyrene particle with diameter of $3.4\;{\mu}m$. The morphology of polystyrene/nickel composite particles was investigated to see the effect of the plating conditions, such as the $PdCl_2$ and glycine concentrations and the dropping rate of nickel plating solution, on nickel deposition. With $PdCl_2$ and glycine concentrations at more than 0.4 g/L and 1 M, respectively, more uniform nickel layer and less precipitated nickel aggregates were formed. At the given plating time of 2 h, the same amount of plating solution was introduced by varying the dropping rate. Though the effect of dropping rate on particle morphology was not noticeable, the dropping rate of 0.15 mL/min for 60 min showed rather uniform plating.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.74-79
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• 2009

The inorganic-organic composite particles with core-shell structure were polymerized by using styrene and potassium persulfate (KPS) as a shell monomer and an initiator, respectively. We studied the effect of surfactants on the core-shell structure of silicone dioxide/styrene composite particles polymerized in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS), polyoxyethylene alkylether sulfate (EU-S133D), and at none surfactant condition. We found that $SiO_2$ core / polystyrene(PS) shell structure was formed when polymerization of styrene was conducted on the surface of $SiO_2$ particles, and the concentration SDS and EU-Sl33D was $8.34{\times}10^{-2}mole/L$. The core-shell structure was confirmed by measuring the thermal decomposition of the polymer composite using thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), and the morphology of the composite particles was characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM).

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.617-624
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• 2001

The core-shell composite latexes were synthesized by stage emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene (St) with ammonium persulfate after preparing monomer pre-emulsion in the presence of anionic surfactant. However, in preparation of core-shell composite latex, several unexpected results are observed, such as, particle coagulation, low degree of polymerization, and formation of new particles during shell polymerization. To solve the disadvantages, We study the effect of initiator concentrations, surfactant concentrations, and reaction temperature on the core-shell structure of polymethyl methacrylate/polystyrene and polystyrene/polymethyl methacrylate. Particle size and particle size distribution were measured using particle size analyzer, and the morphology of the core-shell composite latex was determined using transmission electron microscope. Glass temperature was also measured using differential scanning calorimeter. To identify the core-shell structure, pH of the two composite latex solutions were measured.