Web Release Date: January 25,
Phase Behavior of Polystyrene-Brush-Coated Nanoparticles in Cyclohexane
Institut für Organische Chemie und Makromolekulare Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Universitätsstr. 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Received: August 3, 2007
In Final Form: October 29, 2007
Abstract:
The dispersion behavior of polystyrene-coated iron oxide nanoparticles, referred to as FeOx@PS, is explored
in the 
-solvent cyclohexane in dependency of the temperature, particle size, and polymer concentration.
Two different transitions are observed. A volume transition of the particle shell occurs on crossing the
-temperature, as detected by dynamic light scattering. In the higher concentration regime, a reversible,
particle-agglomeration-induced phase separation is observed by means of cloud point photometry, and the
dependency of the phase separation behavior on the concentration and molar mass of the polymeric arms is
investigated. Studies concerning both phenomena are compared with the phase behavior of linear PS with
high molar mass.
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