Microporous polymer particles via phase inversion in microfluidics: impact of non-solvent quality
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Accepted version
Published version
Author(s)
Udoh, C
Garbin, V
Cabral, JP
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We investigate the impact of ternary phase behavior on the microstructure of porous polymer particles produced by solvent extraction of polymer solution droplets by a nonsolvent. Microfluidic devices fabricated by frontal photopolymerization are employed to produce monodisperse polymer (P)/solvent (S) droplets suspended in a carrier (C) phase before inducing solvent extraction by precipitation in a nonsolvent (NS) bath. Model systems of sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) (P), water (S), hexadecane (C), and either methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) or ethyl acetate (EA) as NS are selected. Extraction across the liquid–liquid interface results in a decrease in the droplet radius and also an ingress of nonsolvent, leading to droplet phase demixing and coarsening. As the concentration of the polymer-rich phase increases, droplet shrinkage and solvent exchange slow down and eventually cease, resulting in microporous polymer particles (of radius ≃50–200 μm) with a smooth surface. The internal structure of these capsules, with pore sizes of ≃1–100 μm, is found to be controlled by polymer solution thermodynamics and the extraction pathway. The ternary phase diagrams are measured by turbidimetry, and the kinetics of phase separation is estimated by stopped-flow small-angle neutron scattering. The higher solubility of water in MEK results in faster particle-formation kinetics than in EA. Surprisingly, however, the lower polymer miscibility with EA/water results in a deeper quench inside the phase boundary and small phase sizes, thus yielding particles with small pores (of narrow distribution). The effects of droplet size, polymer content, and nonsolvent quality provide comprehensive insight into porous particle and capsule formation by phase inversion, with a range of practical applications.
Date Issued
2016-07-22
Date Acceptance
2016-07-22
Citation
Langmuir, 2016, 32 (32), pp.8131-8140
ISSN
0743-7463
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
8131
End Page
8140
Journal / Book Title
Langmuir
Volume
32
Issue
32
Copyright Statement
This is an open access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the author and source are cited.
Abstract
Abstract
License URL
Sponsor
Commission of the European Communities
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Grant Number
PCIG13-GA-2013-618333
EP/L020564/1
Subjects
Chemical Physics
MD Multidisciplinary
Publication Status
Published