Low temperature suspension polymerization of methyl methacrylate for the preparation of high molecular weight poly(methyl methacrylate)/silver nanocomposite microspheres

In order to prepare high molecular weight poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/silver nanocomposite microspheres, methyl methacrylate was suspension-polymerized in the presence of silver nanoparticles at low temperature with 2,2′-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) as an initiator. The rate of conversion was increased by increasing the initiator concentration. When silver nanoparticles were added, the rate of polymerization decreased slightly. High monomer conversion (about 85 %) was obtained in spite of low polymerization temperature of 30°C. Under controlled conditions, PMMA/silver microspheres with various number-average degrees of polymerization (6,000–37,000) were prepared. Morphology studies revealed that except for normal suspension microspheres with a smooth surface, a golf ball-like appearance of the microspheres was observed, due to the migration and aggregation of the hydrophilic silver nanoparticles at the sublayer beneath the microsphere’s surface.