RAFT Dispersion Polymerization of Nitrobenzene-based Monomer and Photo-response of its Polymer Nanoparticles

The poly[N,N-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) macro-RAFT agent mediated dispersion polymerization of photo-responsive nitrobenzene-based monomer of o-nitrobenzyl methacrylate (NBMA) was performed and the polymerization kinetics and evolution of the block copolymer nanoparticles morphology during the RAFT dispersion copolymerization were investigated in detail. This dispersion RAFT polymerization underwent initial homogeneous polymerization at initial stage and then a subsequent stage of slowed heterogeneous polymerization occurred until the monomer conversion of the polymerization reaction is basically unchanged at about 50% at 24 h. The reason of deceleration of the second stage that is different from the second stage of acceleration for common monomer is discussed. The PDMAEMA-b-PNBMA nanoparticles were prepared by PDMAMEA-mediated RAFT dispersion polymerization, and the photo-response of PDMAEMA-b-PNBMA nanoparticles was also studied.