Synthesis and characterization of epoxy‐functional polystyrene particles

Abstract Colloidal polystyrene particles with surface epoxy groups have been synthesized through surfactant‐free emulsion copolymerization of styrene with glycidyl methacrylate; and through copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and methyl methacrylate as shells around existing polystyrene seed particles. We developed two titration methods to quantify the number of epoxy groups that survived the polymerization processes. The styrene‐GMA copolymer particles were judged to be unsatisfactory as model colloidal materials due to their size polydispersity and unknown internal distribution of epoxy groups. The core‐shell particles had high epoxy surface densities with at least 60% of the initial epoxy groups surviving the synthesis process. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the thickness of the epoxy‐rich shell is less than expected based on the volume of monomers added, suggesting that some of the monomer forms water‐soluble oligomers. Photon correlation spectroscopy measurements imply that the shell is swollen with water and consists of polymer configurations which extend out into solution. The morphological details vary consistently with the GMA content, and hence the hydrophilicity, of the shell polymer. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.