Synthesis of silica hybrid nanoparticles modified with photofunctional polymers and construction of colloidal crystals

Photofunctional polymer as silane coupling agent (PFD) was prepared by free radical copolymerization of 4-vinylbenzyl N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate (VBDC) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPMS) as chain transfer agent. Next, silane (SiO2; the average diameter Dn = 192 nm) nanoparticles was surface-modified with PFD and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (γ-MPS) by covalent bond formed between silanol groups and silane coupling agents. The PFD and γ-MPS functionalizations changed the silica surface into hydrophobic nature and provided grafting initiation sites and methacrylate terminal groups respectively. We performed the construction of hybrid nanocomposites by using these modified SiO2 nanoparticles. It was found from electron microscopy observations that SiO2 particles were packed into repeating cubic arrangements in a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix such as colloidal crystals. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009