Latex particles surface functionalization hydrophobic surfaces

Functional groups have also been placed on surfaces of organic colloidal particles prepared in an emulsion process. Vairon et al. applied ATRP to the homopolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) and 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl tri-methylammonium chloride from the surface of a crosslinked polystyrene latex functionalized with alkyl bromide groups. ATRP was carried out using the surface groups of the dialyzed latex as the initiators. The resulting hydrophobic core/hy-... 

Other types of surfactants are the polymeric (steric) stabilisers, such as partially hydrolysed polyvinyl acetate. Also oligomeric species formed in situ, when SO radicals react with some monomer units in the aqueous phase, will have surface active properties, and can even form a colloidally stable latex Electrosteric stabilisers combine steric and electrostatic functionalities for example, inclusion of acrylic acid in a recipe results in chains with blocks comprised largely of poly(acrylic acid) which for in the aqueous phase, then pick up enough hydrophobic monomer to enter the particle and continue polymerisation in the particle interior. The hydrophilic component remains in the aqueous phase and provides colloidal stability both sterically and, imder the appropriate conditions of pH, electrostatically. This mode of stabilisation is very common in surface coatings, because it gives excellent freeze-thaw stability. 

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