Synthesis of Golf-ball-like Polystyrene Microspheres from a Pickering Emulsion Stabilized by Amphiphilic Janus Microspheres

摘要

Novel golf-ball-like polystyrene (PS) microspheres were obtained through γ-ray-radiation-initiatcd polymerization of styrene (St) monomers in a Pickering emulsion stabilized by amphiphilic snowman-like PS Janus microspheres, which were synthesized via seed emulsion polymerization of St swollen in poly(acrylic acid)-functionalized crosslinkcd PS (PA-CPS) seed microspheres. It was found that the stability of the Pickering emulsion and the hole size of the golf-ball-like PS microspheres depend on the geometry of the amphiphilic snowman-like PS Janus microspheres, which can be tuned by the weight ratio of the styrene monomer to PA-CPS seed microspheres (w_(S-CPS). This work provides a simple strategy to synthesize amphiphilic Janus microspheres and opens a new way to prepare polymer microspheres with holes on the surface.