We present the synthesis of well-defined mixed poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PtBA)/polystyrene (PS) brushes grafted on 67 nm silica nanoparticles and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study of their morphology. The mixed brushes were grown from asymmetric difunctional initiator-functionalized silica nanoparticles by sequential surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of tBA and nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization of styrene. TEM studies showed that the mixed PtBA/PS brushes grafted on 67 nm silica nanoparticles with comparable molecular weights for the two polymers underwent lateral microphase separation after being cast from chloroform, producing distinct truncated wedge-shaped nanostructures. These peculiar nanostructures were believed to originate from the curvature effect.

Morphology of mixed homopolymer brushes grafted on 67 nm silica nanoparticles

246th National Meeting (2013)

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