Synthesis of monodispersed crosslinked nanoparticles decorated with surface carboxyl groups via soapless emulsion polymerization

The preparation conditions of the monodispersed crosslinked polystyrene nanoparticles decorated with surface carboxyl groups via soapless emulsion polymerization with oleic acid (OA) as emulsifying comonomer (surfmer) and divinyl benzene (DVB) as crosslinker were optimized in the present work. The effects of the amounts of surfmer, crosslinker and initiator added, polymerization time on the particle sizes of the nanoparticles were investigated by the dynamic laser light scattering (DLS) analysis. Monodispersed functional crosslinked polystyrene nanoparticles with the particle size near 250 nm were obtained for the optimum polymerization condition.