A strategy for the synthesis of cyclomatrix-polyphosphazene nanoparticles from non-aromatic monomers. Issue 79 (9th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Huang, Zhangjun; Zheng, Feng; Chen, Shuangshuang; Lu, Xuemin; Catharina Elizabeth van Sittert, Cornelia Gertina; Lu, Qinghua
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 6:Issue 79(2016)
• Page Start: 75552
• Page End: 75561
• Publication Date: 2016-08-09
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ra13486f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : Cyclomatrix-polyphosphazenes (C-PPZs) are a new class of nanomaterials that have attracted significant interest owing to their unique inorganic–organic hybrid structure and tunable properties. Abstract : Cyclomatrix-polyphosphazenes (C-PPZs) are a new class of nanomaterials that have attracted significant interest owing to their unique inorganic–organic hybrid structure and tunable properties. The limited success that has been achieved in producing C-PPZs from non-aromatic organic monomers is ascribed to an insufficient understanding of their polymerization mechanism. In this work, by using a new strategy termed solubility-parameter-triggered polycondensation, we demonstrate experimentally and computationally that C-PPZs nanoparticle synthesis from non-aromatic monomers is feasible and solubility-parameter (SP)-dependent. The precipitation polycondensation of C-PPZ occurs once the solution SP is outside a critical SP range, while within the critical range only oligomers are detected from the reaction; this SP-dependent rule is applicable for C-PPZ oligomers from both aromatic and non-aromatic monomers. The upper/lower critical SP values increase with the increase of organic monomer hydrophilicity. The morphologies of C-PPZ products exist as clusters or nanoparticles when the reaction solvent SP is controlled below the upper critical SP or exceeds the lower critical SP, respectively. This theory presents a feasible way to predict and determine the precipitation polycondensation conditions and product morphology of any novel C-PPZ nanomaterial.