Nanofabrication method of amphiphilic spheres using linear hydrophobic polymer chains as templates

Investigation about nanocarriers has been a hot issue and nanofabrication method still plays an important role. In this work, a phenomenon that reacting linear polystyrene chains can collapse when a reaction media changed from tetrahydrofuran to water was utilized as templates to prepare nanospheres. Free radicals on the surface of the collapsed templates can initiate hydrophilic monomers N-isopropylacrylamide and N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide in water. Effect levels of some factors including stirring rate, N-isopropylacrylamide concentration and reaction time of styrene on size and monodispersity of the spheres were investigated. The results show the obtained spheres had polystyrene cores and crosslinked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) shells. Monodispersed nanospheres with mean diameter 63nm can be obtained under optimized condition. The results also display that the first effect factor was the reaction time of styrene, and the second was the stirring rate. The proposed technology provides a mode to prepare monodisperse nanospheres or nanocapsules, which are highly attractive for targeting hydrophobic-drug delivery systems, oil-water separation, single molecule detect, colloid science and so on.