Batch Emulsion Polymerization Mediated by Poly(methacrylic acid) MacroRAFT Agents: One-Pot Synthesis of Self-Stabilized Particles

The present paper describes the successful one-pot synthesis of self-stabilized particles composed of amphiphilic block copolymers based on poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) obtained by polymerization-induced self-assembly. First, controlled radical polymerization of MAA is performed in water using the RAFT process by taking advantage of our recent results showing the successful RAFT polymerization of MAA in water [Chaduc et al. Macromolecules 2012, 45, 1241-1247]. The so-formed hydrophilic macro-RAFT agents are then chain-extended in situ with a hydrophobic monomer to form amphiphilic block copolymer chains of controlled molar mass that self-assemble into stable nanoparticles. Various parameters such as the pH, the molar mass and the concentration of the PMAA segments or the nature of the hydrophobic block have been investigated.