Hybrid polymer particles with a protective shell: Synthesis, structure, and templating

The development of hybrid polymer particles formed by the hydrolytic condensation of octadecyldimethyl(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)ammonium chloride (ODMACl) and the trisodium salt of the triacetic acid N-(trimethoxysilylpropyl) ethylenediamine (TANED) along with self-assembling with nonionic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) based surfactants containing a hydrophobic octadecyl tail (Brij) have been studied using liquid and solid-state NMR, dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). On the basis of DLS and NMR data, the mechanism of interaction of Brij, ODMACl, and TANED molecules in an aqueous solution has been suggested. The influence of the PEG chain length on the ability of surfactants to stabilize polymer particles has been established. The combination of DSC and XRD assessed the crystallinity and thermal properties of self-assembled hybrid materials in the solid state, while SAXS studies revealed that their morphology strikingly depends on the PEG chain length and reaction conditions determining the degree of Brij incorporation and the structure of the Brij-ODMACl complex. Because of the protective PEG shell, the hybrid polymer particles were successfully used as soluble templates for the formation of iron oxide nanoparticles.