Miniemulsion polymers as solid support for transition metal catalysts

✍ Scribed by Moses G. Gichinga; Susanne Striegler; Natasha A. Dunaway; James D. Barnett

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 784 KB
• Volume: 51
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0032-3861
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2009.11.016

✦ Synopsis

A pentadentate salen-type ligand was immobilized in a poly[(styrene)]-co-(butyl acrylate)] matrix by miniemulsion polymerization. The obtained polymer beads revealed a particle size of 50 nm in the dry state by transmission electron microscopy. Dynamic light scattering experiments in methanol and water showed a solvent-dependent average particle size with a mean particle diameter of up to 233 nm in methanol. These results provide valuable insights for the optimization of macromolecular oxidation catalysts and their future use as enzyme-like entities in aqueous media. The particle stability was demonstrated over a wide pH range (3-11) by gel permeation chromatography, and initial results for the metal ion binding ability were obtained.