Self assembly of molecules to form nano-particles
View Patent ↗A polymer nano-particle composition is provided, wherein the nano-particle includes a poly(alkenylbenzene) core and a surface layer including poly(conjugated diene). A method for self-assembly of the nano-particles is also provided. The polymer nano-particles are preferably less than about 100 nm in diameter.
1. A method of making a nano-particle comprising;
forming di-block polymer chains by living anionic polymerization;
aggregating the di-block polymer chains into one or more nano-particles in a hydrocarbon solvent, through micelle formation, whereby a mean average diameter of the nano-particle comprises no more than about 100 nm.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising functionalizing said polymer chains.
3. The method of claim 1 , further wherein an orientation of said nano-particle comprises a shell-core orientation.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising crosslinking the core with a cross-linking agent.
5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising crosslinking the shell with a cross-linking agent.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising extending said polymer chains.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the extending comprises increasing the density of the shell.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said aggregating comprises forming said nano-particles from said polymer chains in an environment which initiates the polymer chains.
9. The method of claim 4 , further comprising uncrosslinking said core.
10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising uncrosslinking said shell.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising hydrogenating said polymer chain.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising hydrogenating said nano-particle.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said aggregating and said forming occur in the same environment.
14. The method of claim 3 further comprising at least partial removal of the shell or the core.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said removal comprises monomerization of the core or shell with Osmium tetraoxide and heat.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle is formed into a shape selected from the group consisting of: spherical, string, flower, hollow, and ellipsoid.
17. A nano-particle formed from aggregating diblock polymer chains through micelle formation in a hydrocarbon solvent, the one or more diblock polymer chains comprising a core, and a shell, and a mean average diameter of no more than about 100 nm;
wherein the one or more polymer chains are formed by living anionic polymerization.
18. The nano-particle of claim 17 , wherein the shell comprises extended polymer chains.
19. A method of making a nano-particle comprising:
forming diblock polymer chains by living anionic polymerization;
in a hydrocarbon solvent, aggregating the diblock polymer chains into one or more nano-particles, through micelle formation, and cross-linking the nano-particle with a cross-linking agent.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein an orientation of the nano-particle comprises a shell-core orientation.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the nanoparticle is formed into a shape selected from the group consisting of: spherical, string, flower, hollow, and ellipsoid.
22. The method of claim 3 , wherein the core comprises poly(alkenyl)benzene monomer units and the shell comprises conjugated diene monomer units.
23. The method of claim 3 , wherein the core is harder than the shell.
24. The method of claim 3 , wherein the shell includes pendent vinyl groups.
25. A method of making a nano-particle composition comprising the steps of:
forming diblock polymer chains by anionic polymerization;
aggregating the diblock polymer chains into one or more core-shell oriented nano-particles in a hydrocarbon solvent, through micelle formation, and
combining the one or more nano-particles with a rubber matrix.
26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of forming the nano-particle composition into a tire tread or tire side wall.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the core comprises poly(alkenyl)benzene monomer units and the shell comprises conjugated diene monomer units.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the core is harder than the shell.
29. A tire component comprising a nano-particle composition formed by the process comprising:
forming diblock polymer chains by living anionic polymerization;
aggregating the diblock polymer chains into one or more core-shell oriented nano-particles in a hydrocarbon solvent, through micelle formation,
combining the one or more nano-particles with a rubber matrix to form a rubber matrix and nano-particle composition;
curing the rubber matrix and nano-particle composition;
molding the cured rubber matrix and nano-particle composition into a tire component.
30. The tire component of claim 29 , wherein the core of the one or more nanoparticles comprises poly(alkenyl)benzene monomer units and the shell comprises conjugated diene monomer units.
31. The tire component of claim 30 , wherein the core of the one or more nanoparticles is harder than the shell.