Uniform shape monodisperse single chain nanocrystals by living aqueous catalytic polymerization

Manuel Schnitte, Anne Staiger, Larissa A. Casper, Stefan Mecking Nature Communications 10, Article number: 2592 (2019) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10692-1

Abstract: The preparation of polymer nanoparticles with a uniform size and shape, beyond spheres, is an unresolved problem. Here we report a living aqueous catalytic polymerization, resulting in particles grown by a single active site and composed of a single ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) chain. The control on a molecular level (Mw/Mn = 1.1–1.2) and at the same time on a particle level (PDI < 0.05) together with the immediate deposition of the growing chain on the growing nanocrystal results in a distinct evolution of the particle morphology over time. These uniform nanocrystals are obtained as concentrated aqueous dispersions of > 10 wt-% (N ≈ 1019 particles L−1) polymer content. Key to this robust procedure to single chain nanoparticles are long-lived water-stable Ni(II) catalysts that do not undergo any chain transfer. These findings are a relevant step towards polymer materials based on nanoparticle assembly.