No / Core-shell particles have been prepared by surfactant-free emulsion polymerisations of butyl methacrylate in the presence of either linear or highly branched poly(acrylamidomethylpropane sulphonate)s (L-PAMPS or HB-PAMPS) with dithioate end groups: using a "shell-first" approach. In this method the water soluble PAMPS shells were anchored to the cores by polymerisation of BMA from the chain ends. The linear PAMPS produced non-crosslinked poly(AMPS-BMA) particles but the multiple chain ends of the highly branched PAMPS led to crosslinked particles. The particles were loaded with vascular endothelial growth factor or platelet derived growth factor, both of which are cytokines that are known to be important in the production of new blood vessels. The release of the growth factors was shown to be controlled by the architecture of the shell and we propose a mechanism that involves both ionic interaction of the PAMPS with the heparin-binding domains of the growth factors and size exclusion mediated diffusion.

Neste trabalho, dois macro-agentes de transferência de cadeia para polimerizações via RAFT, à base de poli(óxido de etileno), isto é, PEO-CPADB e PEO-CPP, foram sintetizados via duas rotas químicas e utilizados como estabilizantes coloidais e como agentes de controle de massa molecular na polimerização em miniemulsão do estireno. Látices de poliestireno (PS), estabilizados estericamente pelos segmentos de PEO, foram obtidos utilizando 2,2\'-azobis(isobutironitrila) como iniciador e hexadecano como co-estabilizador. O consumo de monômero foi determinado via análise gravimétrica. O tamanho de partícula e a distribuição de tamanhos de partículas (PSD) foram determinados por espalhamento de luz (LS). As massas moleculares e a distribuição de massas moleculares (nwMM) dos polímeros foram determinadas por cromatografia de exclusão de tamanho (SEC). Os resultados mostraram que o diâmetro das gotas e das partículas de polímero, assim como a estabilidade coloidal dos látices são fortemente dependentes do tipo e da quantidade de agente de transferência de cadeia utilizado nas polimerizações. Deslocamentos das curvas de distribuição de massas moleculares para massas moleculares maiores, em função da conversão, indicaram que a maioria das cadeias poliméricas apresentava características de cadeias vivas. Análises de GPC também mostraram que a polimerização foi bem controlada quando uma quantidade do macro-agente RAFT PEO-CPP, igual a 4,4 x 10-3 mol.L-1 foi utilizada, o que foi indicado pelo baixos índices de polidispersão obtidos (1,05-1,42). / In this work, two poly(ethylene oxide)-based macro-RAFT agents, ie, PEO-CPADB and PEO-CPP, were synthesized via two chemical routes and used as a stabilizer and a control agent in the miniemulsion polymerization of styrene. Polystyrene (PS) latexes sterically stabilized by the PEO segments were obtained using 2,2?-azobis(isobutyronitrile) as initiator and hexadecane as co-stabilizer. Monomer consumption was monitored by gravimetric analysis. The latex particle size and the particle size distribution (PSD) were measured by light scattering (LS). Molar masses and molar mass distributions (nwMM) of the polymers were determined by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The results showed that the droplet/particle sizes and the latexes stability are strongly dependent on the type and on the amount of macro-RAFT agent used in the polymerizations. Shifts of the SEC chromatograms toward higher molar masses with conversion indicated that the majority of the polymer chains are living chains. Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) analysis also showed that polymerization was well controlled when an amount of macro-RAFT PEO-RAFT agent equal to 4.4 x 10-3 mol. L-1 was used, since low polidispersity indices (1.05-1.42) was achieved.

Neste trabalho, dois macro-agentes de transferência de cadeia para polimerizações via RAFT, à base de poli(óxido de etileno), isto é, PEO-CPADB e PEO-CPP, foram sintetizados via duas rotas químicas e utilizados como estabilizantes coloidais e como agentes de controle de massa molecular na polimerização em miniemulsão do estireno. Látices de poliestireno (PS), estabilizados estericamente pelos segmentos de PEO, foram obtidos utilizando 2,2\'-azobis(isobutironitrila) como iniciador e hexadecano como co-estabilizador. O consumo de monômero foi determinado via análise gravimétrica. O tamanho de partícula e a distribuição de tamanhos de partículas (PSD) foram determinados por espalhamento de luz (LS). As massas moleculares e a distribuição de massas moleculares (nwMM) dos polímeros foram determinadas por cromatografia de exclusão de tamanho (SEC). Os resultados mostraram que o diâmetro das gotas e das partículas de polímero, assim como a estabilidade coloidal dos látices são fortemente dependentes do tipo e da quantidade de agente de transferência de cadeia utilizado nas polimerizações. Deslocamentos das curvas de distribuição de massas moleculares para massas moleculares maiores, em função da conversão, indicaram que a maioria das cadeias poliméricas apresentava características de cadeias vivas. Análises de GPC também mostraram que a polimerização foi bem controlada quando uma quantidade do macro-agente RAFT PEO-CPP, igual a 4,4 x 10-3 mol.L-1 foi utilizada, o que foi indicado pelo baixos índices de polidispersão obtidos (1,05-1,42). / In this work, two poly(ethylene oxide)-based macro-RAFT agents, ie, PEO-CPADB and PEO-CPP, were synthesized via two chemical routes and used as a stabilizer and a control agent in the miniemulsion polymerization of styrene. Polystyrene (PS) latexes sterically stabilized by the PEO segments were obtained using 2,2?-azobis(isobutyronitrile) as initiator and hexadecane as co-stabilizer. Monomer consumption was monitored by gravimetric analysis. The latex particle size and the particle size distribution (PSD) were measured by light scattering (LS). Molar masses and molar mass distributions (nwMM) of the polymers were determined by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The results showed that the droplet/particle sizes and the latexes stability are strongly dependent on the type and on the amount of macro-RAFT agent used in the polymerizations. Shifts of the SEC chromatograms toward higher molar masses with conversion indicated that the majority of the polymer chains are living chains. Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) analysis also showed that polymerization was well controlled when an amount of macro-RAFT PEO-RAFT agent equal to 4.4 x 10-3 mol. L-1 was used, since low polidispersity indices (1.05-1.42) was achieved.

Nous décrivons dans ce travail l’élaboration de latex nanocomposites à base d’oxyde de cérium en vue d’applications dans le domaine des revêtements. Deux procédés originaux ont été développés afin de contrôler la morphologie des particules. Dans un premier temps, nous avons tiré parti de la forte densité de charges des nanoparticules d’oxyde de cérium pour stabiliser des particules de latex obtenues par polymérisation en émulsion ou en miniémulsion « de Pickering ». Dans les deux cas, la réaction est conduite en présence des particules inorganiques et d’un agent complexant à caractère acide, l’acide méthacrylique, en l’absence de tout tensioactif. Des particules de latex, décorées en surface par les nanoparticules d’oxyde de cérium ont été ainsi synthétisées. Par la suite, une stratégie qui consiste à utiliser des chaînes de polymères hydrophiles, réactivables (macro-agent RAFT) et préalablement adsorbées à la surface des nanoparticules d’oxyde de cérium a été envisagée. Ces chaînes polymères comportant à la fois des fonctions carboxyliques et un groupe trithiocarbonate terminal sont capables de stabiliser la suspension colloïdale des nanoparticules et de réamorcer la polymérisation en mode semi-continu permettant ainsi l’encapsulation de l’oxyde de cérium. Une optimisation visant à utiliser un procédé batch a également été évaluée. Quelle que soit la stratégie employée, une attention toute particulière a été portée à la stabilité colloïdale du milieu ainsi qu’à la cinétique de la réaction. La morphologie des particules composites a été caractérisée par MET et cryo-MET et reliée aux conditions de modification de surface et de polymérisation / This work describes the elaboration of nanocomposite latexes containing cerium dioxide nanoparticles for coating applications. Two original approaches have been developed to control the particle morphology. First, we took advantage of the high charge density of cerium dioxide nanoparticles to stabilize latex particles obtained via emulsion or “Pickering” miniemulsion polymerization. In both cases the reaction was conducted in the presence of the inorganic particles and methacrylic acid as a complexing agent, in the absence of any added surfactant. Armored latex particles covered with cerium dioxide nanoparticules were obtained by this method. Subsequently, another approach based on the use of living hydrophilic polymer chains (macroRAFT agents) previously adsorbed on the surface of the cerium dioxide nanoparticles was considered. These copolymers both containing carboxylic acid groups and carrying a thiocarbonylthio end group led to stable aqueous dispersion of the nanoparticles and could chain extend to form an encapsulating polymer shell under starved feed emulsion polymerization conditions. An optimization using a batch process was also evaluated. For both approaches, particular attention was paid to the colloidal stability of the medium and to the kinetics of the reaction. The morphology of the nanocomposite latex particles was characterized by TEM and cryo-TEM and correlated with the surface modification and the experimental conditions