Controlled preparation of nanogel particles and their use as macromonomers

POLY 310

Jeffrey W. Stansbury, jeffrey.stansbury@uchsc.edu, Marianela Trujillo-Lemon, and Xingzhe Ding. Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado School of Dentistry, 12800 E 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80015
The objectives of this investigation are to define synthetic conditions for controlled preparation of polymeric nanogel particles and to evaluate potential applications of these materials as macromonomers. This work focuses on nanogels that are moderately to highly internally crosslinked, but through restriction of degree of polymerization by use of chain transfer agents, network formation does not extend to the macrogel level. As a result, the discrete nanogel particles form clear, homogeneous solutions in a variety of solvents and other monomers, which facilitates characterization and if needed, post-polymerization processing to introduce functionality for secondary polymerizations. Nanogels obtained from (meth)acrylate free radical polymerizations were prepared with a range of structure, moduli, molecular weight and solubility properties. Nanogels that contain secondary polymerizable groups, either included in the original nanogel structure or subsequently added, were examined as macromonomers.