Adsorption and emulsification properties of amphiphilic poly(styrene-co-octadecyl maleamic acid salt) with comb-like architecture

Amphiphilic poly(styrene-co-octadecyl maleamic acid salt) (PS-co-ODMAS) with a comb-like architecture was synthesized employing a heterophase aqueous polymerization reaction The side-chain comonomer from octadecyl maleamic acid salt exhibited hydrogelation characteristics and provided conditions for a controlled polymerization reaction PS-co-ODMAS polymers consisting of 5 and 10 mol% side-chain monomer showed a high molecular weight on the order of 10(6) and narrow polydispersity index at 1 33 + 0 02 The polymer consisting of 10 mol% side-chain monomer was shown to exhibit properties that are significantly different from those with 5 mol%, and the control poly(styrene) synthesized using sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactant. The polymer consisting of 10 mol% side-chain monomer formed hollow spherical spheres of 30 urn size It also showed close-packed structures of the side-chain monomer on the polymer surface Detailed adsorption studies at the liquid/liquid interface were carried out to evaluate and understand the scope for modification in surface energy characteristics of polymers in the presence of additives drawn from simple surfactants Triton X-100 was shown to undergo effective adsorption on the polymer consisting of 10 mol% side-chain monomer and thus could generate stable emulsions with different volume fractions of heptadecane The results from electron microscopy studies and viscosity of emulsions are discussed (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved