Self-catalyzed synthesis of a nano-capsule and its application as a heterogeneous RCMP catalyst and nano-reactor

• Main Authors: Oh, Xin Yi, Sakar, Jit, Cham, Ning, Er, Gerald Tze Kwang, Pan, Houwen Matthew, Goto, Atsushi
• Other Authors: School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Science::Chemistry; Nano-Capsule; Living Radical Polymerization
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/163977
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

A novel polymeric nano-capsule bearing quaternary ammonium iodide (QAI) groups on both the outer and inner surfaces of the shell was synthesized via self-catalyzed polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA). Because QAI works as a catalyst of reversible complexation mediated living radical polymerization (RCMP), the obtained nano-capsule was exploited as a dual RCMP catalyst based on the outer and inner QAI groups. Benefitting from the outer QAI groups, the nano-capsule served as a supported heterogeneous RCMP catalyst with good recyclability to generate polymers outside the nano-capsule. Benefitting from the inner QAI groups, the nano-capsule served as a nano-reactor to generate polymers inside the nano-capsule. The nano-capsule served as a substrate-sorting nano-reactor based on the selective diffusivity of small molecules and polymers through the shell by their sizes. Namely, large molecules (polymers) once generated in the nano-reactor are not permeable through the shell, enabling the entrapment of the generated polymers in the nano-capsule. A homopolymer, an amphiphilic block copolymer, and a multi-polarity and multielemental block copolymer were synthesized and entrapped in the nano-capsule.