Synthesis and Kinetic Studies of PMMA Nanoparticles by Surfactant Free Emulsion Polymerization (Sfep)

Gaber El–Enany; Mohamed S. El Ghareb; Ahmed Omran

Volume : IV, Issue : IX, September - 2014

Synthesis and Kinetic Studies of PMMA Nanoparticles by Surfactant Free Emulsion Polymerization (Sfep)

Gaber El Enany, Mohamed S. El Ghareb, Ahmed Omran

Abstract :

Poly (methyl methacrylate) nanoparticles are of extended use in different research areas and applications from industrial application to drug delivery vehicles. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) nanoparticles have been successfully prepared by microwave&ndash;free/emulsifier&ndash;free emulsion polymerization with potassium peroxydisulphate (KPS) as initiator. After confirming the composition using FT&ndash;IR, particle characterization by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) revealed the morphology of uniformly sized fine&ndash;tuned nanoparticles can be obtained at less than 50 nm particle size. In addition, a detailed kinetic study of PMMA polymerization results in the apparent activation energy Ea=43.5 kJ/mol and activation energy of initiator decomposition Ed=45 kJ/mol. In conclusion, the rate of polymerization, Rp at 70Ë&scaron;C was expressed by the equation, Rp=K [KPS] 0.38 [MMA] 0.89.