Facile synthesis of tunable core-shell particles via one-step copolymerization

A type of tunable particles consisting of a soft poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) core and a solid shell were directly synthesized in toluene via a facile one-pot copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), (3-Methacryloyloxypropyl) methyldiethoxysilane (MADS), and N,N'-methylenebis(2-propenamide) (MBA). Of particular concern is the shells' potential to burst due to the swelling and expansion of the PNIPAM core after soaking in water, resulting in an outflow of the core. The toughness of the particle shells could be tuned by altering the feed ratio of MADS or MBA relative to NIPAM, resulting in a series of morphologies that varied from resembling a broken egg to being deformed core-shell spheres. The morphologies could be further modulated by dispersing the particles in different solvents.