Surface-active gold nanoparticles with mixed polymer brushes as surfactants in the preparation of polystyrene colloid particles

Gold nanoparticles with hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) and hydrophilic poly [poly(ethyle ne glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] (PPEGMA) mixed polymer brushes are prepared. Different morphologies of the nanoparticles can be observed in chloroform (a common solvent for both of the polymers) and water (a precipitant for PS and a good solvent for PPEGMA). The nanoparticles can be used as surfactants in Pickering suspension polymerization. Upon addition of nanoparticles to a mixture of oil and water, the nanoparticles locate at the interface and the size of the oil droplets gets smaller. After polymerization of styrene oil droplets PS colloid particles with gold nanoparticles on the surface can be obtained.