TY - JOUR
T1 - Two sides of the same coin
T2 - light as a tool to control and map microsphere design
AU - Walden, Sarah L.
AU - Hooker, Jordan P.
AU - Delafresnaye, Laura
AU - Barner-Kowollik, Christopher
N1 - Funding Information:
C.B.-K. acknowledges the Australian Research Council (ARC) for funding in the context of a Laureate Fellowship (FL170100014) and a Discovery grant (DP180100316) enabling his photochemical research program as well as continued key support by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) through the Centre for Materials Science. Furthermore, the authors acknowledge the facilities and the technical assistance from the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility (AMMRF) at the Central Analytical Research Facility (CARF) at QUT.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Chemical Society
PY - 2021/6/23
Y1 - 2021/6/23
N2 - Herein, we establish the effect of intensity and wavelength on the size of microparticles formed via precipitation polymerization, employing photocrosslinkable prepolymers. Simultaneous measurement of backscattered laser irradiation enabled real-time tracking of particle growth and provides the ability to vary the LED intensity (λmax= 415 nm) during various stages of particle growth. Critically, particle diameters can be controlled between 200 and 700 nm by varying the LED power from 73 to 0.63 mW, respectively. High intensities during the nucleation phase—spanning only the initial seconds—were found to dictate the particle diameter, irrespective of the energy used during the growth phase. Finally, a bathochromic shift was observed between the wavelength generating the highest rate of particle formation and the absorbance maxima of the photoactive group. We submit that these findings are broadly applicable in the continuously developing field of photoinitiated synthesis of polymer particles.
AB - Herein, we establish the effect of intensity and wavelength on the size of microparticles formed via precipitation polymerization, employing photocrosslinkable prepolymers. Simultaneous measurement of backscattered laser irradiation enabled real-time tracking of particle growth and provides the ability to vary the LED intensity (λmax= 415 nm) during various stages of particle growth. Critically, particle diameters can be controlled between 200 and 700 nm by varying the LED power from 73 to 0.63 mW, respectively. High intensities during the nucleation phase—spanning only the initial seconds—were found to dictate the particle diameter, irrespective of the energy used during the growth phase. Finally, a bathochromic shift was observed between the wavelength generating the highest rate of particle formation and the absorbance maxima of the photoactive group. We submit that these findings are broadly applicable in the continuously developing field of photoinitiated synthesis of polymer particles.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85109791241&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00319
DO - 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00319
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85109791241
SN - 2161-1653
VL - 10
SP - 851
EP - 856
JO - ACS Macro Letters
JF - ACS Macro Letters
ER -