Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide This study investigates the use of SiO 2 nanoparticles as functional modifiers in the polymerization of poly( N -vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL), aiming to tailor the polymer’s molecular weight and physicochemical and rheological behaviors. The incorporation of nanoparticles into polymerization systems has emerged as a promising strategy to modulate the reaction kinetics and polymer chain growth. In this work, SiO 2 nanoparticles (∼18 nm) were synthesized via the Stober method, incorporated into the radical polymerization reaction of PNVCL at a concentration ranging from 0.5 to 3.0%, and recovered post synthesis. Gel permeation chromatography results revealed that increasing the nanoparticle concentration led to a notable rise in the weight-average molecular weight from 33 to 70 kDa. Rheological analysis revealed that the materials exhibited a predominantly viscous behavior ( G ″ > G ′) both below and above the lower critical solution temperature, suggesting incomplete gelation transitions. These findings demonstrate that SiO 2 nanoparticles can act as polymerization modulators, enabling control over molecular weight distribution and viscoelastic properties, with relevance for thermoresponsive systems for drug delivery and related biomedical technologies.
Source: ACS Omega
Institutions: Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Embrapa Instrumentação
Language: English
Subfield: Organic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,935
OpenAlex ID: W4414260525