Templateless synthesis of polyacrylamide-based nanogels via RAFT dispersion polymerization

Abstract

This paper reports on the synthesis of well-defined polyacrylamide-based nanogels via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerization, highlighting a templateless route for the efficient synthesis of nanogels based on water-soluble polymers. RAFT dispersion polymerization of acrylamide in co-nonsolvents of water-tert-butanol mixtures by chain extension from poly(dimethylacrylamide) shows well-controlled polymerization process, uniform nanogel size, and excellent colloidal stability. The versatility of this approach is further demonstrated by introducing a hydrophobic co-monomer (butyl acrylate) without disturbing the dispersion polymerization process. Nanogels based on water-soluble polyacrylamide are prepared via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerization in water-tert-butanol co-nonsolvents, a templateless approach.