Microfluidic synthesis and assembly of reactive polymer beads to form new structured polymer materials

Monodisperse and size-controlled polymer particles were produced without surfactant or washcoat from O/W monomer emulsions and “on the fly” polymerization under UV irradiation in a very simple needle/tubing system. The effect of the viscosity of the continuous phase on the size of final particles was investigated. The capillary number ratio was found to be relevant to predict the size of the droplets. A relation between dimensionless numbers predicts particle diameter as a function of the needle inner diameter and both velocity and viscosity ratios of continuous and dispersed phases. A functional comonomer was incorporated in the monomer phase so as to obtain polymer microparticles bearing reactive groups on their surface. Polymer beads necklaces were thus formed by linking polymer particles together.