Spherical and core-shell fluorinated polyacrylate latex particles: preparation and characterization.

Fluorinated polyacrylate particles with spherical (SP) and core-shell (CS) structures have been prepared via emulsion polymerization. Morphologies of SP and CS latex particles were observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The copolymer and the film were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), F NMR, atomic force microscope (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetry (TG-DSC) analyses. Fluorinated components in the copolymer were found to aggregate at the film surface, and the core-shell structure of latex particles contributes to occurrence of phase separation at the film surface. The film prepared from core-shell latex particles exhibits more satisfied water repellency than that obtained from spherical latex particles. Fluorine components at SP and CS film surfaces present significantly different aggregation behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]