Abstract:

Uniform polystyrene template spherical particles of 2.5 ± 0.1 µm were prepared by dispersion polymerization of styrene in a mixture of ethanol and 2-methoxy ethanol. Uniform biphase hemispherical polystyrene/Fe(CO)₅ particles were formed by swelling the polystyrene template particles dispersed in water with emulsion droplets containing mixtures of methylene chloride and different volumes of Fe(CO)₅, followed by evaporation of the methylene chloride. Additional evaporation of the Fe(CO)₅ from the biphase polystyrene/Fe(CO)₅ particles leads to uniform anomalous shapes monodispersed polystyrene particles. The anomalous morphologies (dents, holes, and cupola) are dependent on the Fe(CO)₅volume entrapped within the polystyrene particles. Evaporation of relatively high volume of Fe(CO)₅ leads to uniquely shaped pierced uniform particles. The described method may open the door for developing a new methodology for preparing PS particles of controlled morphologies, by insertion and then evaporation of various precursors from PS template particles.