Surface Modification of Fumed Silica Nanoparticles with a Methacryloxypropyltrimethoxy Silane Coupling Agent and the Effect of Nanoparticles Surface Treatment on the In-situ Polymerization of Styrene - Butyl Acrylate

Hashemi-Nasab, S.R.; Mirabedini, S.M.; Khorasani, M.; Kalaee, Mohammadreza

Surface Modification of Fumed Silica Nanoparticles with a Methacryloxypropyltrimethoxy Silane Coupling Agent and the Effect of Nanoparticles Surface Treatment on the In-situ Polymerization of Styrene - Butyl Acrylate

Authors

¹ Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch

² Department of Colour, Resin & Surface Coatings, Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute

³ Color and Polymer Research Center, Amirkabir University of Technology

⁴ Department of Polymer Engineering, Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch

Abstract

In this work, the effects of methacryloxypropyltrimethoxy silane (MPTMS) molar ratio, reaction’s pH and time, and water amount on the surface modification of fumed silica nanoparticles were studied. Possible interactions between the silane coupling agent and the functional groups on the surface of the silica nanoparticles were studied using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The grafting of MPS compounds on the nanoparticles surface was characterized using Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) technique. Then untreated (PSB-Si) and treated (PSB-MPS) fumed silica nanoparticles were included into the styrene: butyl acrylate wt. % ratio of 1:1 emulsion latex, throughout in-situ polymerization method. The synthesized latex samples were characterized using; FTIR and Laser Light Scattering (LLS) techniques. The results of characterization studies revealed the chemical interactions of silane compounds with silica nanoparticles with about 32 wt. % grafting. The silane and water amount, reaction time and pH, have significant effect on the nanoparticles grafting as a result of higher silane hydrolysis. The result of LLS and FTIR studies indicated that the polymerization reaction performed successfully and the inclusion of either untreated or treated nanoparticles has a main effect on the latex particles size.

Keywords