Double-responsive polymer brushes on the surface of colloid particles

Well-defined poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) brushes were synthesized on the surface of polystyrene latex particles by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). It was found that the surface-initiated polymerization of DMAEMA catalyzed by CuCl/CuCl2/bpy was under good control in the solvent of acetone/water at ambient temperature (35 degrees C). High-density PDMAEMA brushes with low polydispersity (PDT 1.21) were obtained. TEM results demonstrate that the PDMAEMA-grafted particles have core-shell structure. Dynamic light scattering studies indicate that the particles with PDMAEMA brushes are both pH and temperature responsive. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.