Surface properties of core-shell particles containing perfluoroalkyl acrylate in shell

The preparation and surface properties of core-shell latex particles containing fluorinated shell were considered in this study. The core-shell particles were prepared by a two-stage emulsion polymerization under kinetically controlled conditions. Alkyl methacrylate monomers having different side chain length were used as a comonomer to form the shell with perfluoroalkyl acrylate. The surface. properties of the latex films produced from the core-shell particles were investigated by sliding angle measurement as well as contact angle method. Although the latex films produced from the core-shell particles exhibited similar surface free energy of 10 mN/m, there existed significant difference in the sliding angles of water and oil droplets depending on the side chain length of alkyl methacrylate comonomers. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.