Well-defined core-shell structures based on silsesquioxane microgels: Grafting of polystyrene via ATRP and product characterization

Silsesquioxane microgel nanoparticles characterized by low diameters (below 30 nm) and reduced polydispersity can be produced in an acid-catalyzed sol–gel process in an aqueous microemulsion. Suitable surface modification of such structures leads to macroinitiators for atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). This polymerization method was applied in order to graft polystyrene chains onto the surface of the microgels. Well-defined structures exhibiting a core-shell architecture were produced with the Mw of grafted polymers ranging from 8.5 to about 30 kg/mol. The products were extensively characterized with light scattering, X-ray scattering, thermal analysis (TGA/DSC) and microscopy (TEM/SEM) to obtain information on parameters characterizing polystyrene brush. Polymer-grafted nanoparticles will be used for the modification of homopolymer and block copolymer matrices.