3-Hydroxypropyl methacrylate → 2-Hydroxypropyl methacrylate

Participants

Reaction Steps

A 150 mL media bottle equipped with a stir bar was charged with 2.532 g (17.5 mmol) of hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) monomer, 52.73 mg (0.266 mmol) of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate(EGDM) crosslinker, 107.6 mg (0.3730 mmol) sodium-dodecylsulfate (SDS), and 118 mL of nitrogen degassed Milli-Q H2O. The bottle was closed and stirred to form a clear solution. In a separate vial, 83 mg of K2S2O8 was dissolved into 2 mL of Milli-Q H2O and added to the media bottle while stirring. The media bottle with clear solution was transferred into a 40° C. water bath and held at constant temperature for 12 hours. The resulting suspension of hydrogel nanoparticles had an opalescent blue color. The particles were analyzed by laser light scattering and found to have an average particle size of 21.3 nm and a size range from 14 nm to 41 nm. The suspension had approximately 1% solid polymer by mass. To date, the suspension of hydrogel nanoparticles resisted flocculation or aggregation for two years at room temperature.

Provenance & Evidence