Dimple Colloids with Tunable Cavity Size and Surface Functionalities

Yong Guo, Bas G.P. Van Ravensteijn, Willem K. Kegel*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Dimple colloids with well-defined cavities were synthesized by a modified dispersion polymerization. The key step in the procedure is the delayed addition of cross-linkers into the reaction mixture. By systematically studying the effect of the delayed addition time and the concentration of the cross-linker on the resulting particle morphology, we identified the dominating driving force that underlies dimple formation. The delayed addition of cross-linkers results in colloids with a core-shell morphology consisting of a core rich in linear polymers and a cross-linked shell. This morphology was confirmed by selectively etching non-cross-linked material using dimethylformamide. With polymerization proceeding, consumption of monomers present in the swollen particles leads to contraction of the particles, which is larger for the core composed of linear polymers compared to the stiffer cross-linked shell. To accommodate this decrease in volume, the outer cross-linked shell has to buckle, resulting in a well-defined dimple. Furthermore, we extended the procedure to incorporate functional monomers, yielding chemically modifiable dimple particles. Subsequently, we showed that by leveraging the core-shell structure, these dimple particles can be used to prepare dumbbell-shaped colloids with one hollow and one solid lobe. These partially hollow anisotropic particles assemble into strings with well-defined orientations in an alternating current electric field.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4287-4294
Number of pages8
JournalMacromolecules
Volume52
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 May 2019

Funding

Pepijn Moerman is acknowledged for operating the electric field experiment and for useful discussion. Sonja Castillo is acknowledged for taking the scanning electron microscopy images. Y.G. is supported by a scholarship under the State Scholarship Fund (file no. 201306200056) from the Chinese government.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Dimple Colloids with Tunable Cavity Size and Surface Functionalities'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this