On the colloidal stability of polystyrene particles prepared with surface-active initiators

The stability of polystyrene latexes prepared with 2,2′-azobis(N-2′-methylpropanoyl-2-amino-alkyl-1)-sulphonates as surface-active initiators (inisurfs) in emulsion polymerization is investigated. The experimentally observed stability during emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization depends on the alkyl chain length of the inisurfs. The calculated barrier height of the overall interaction energy fits nicely with the experimentally observed stability during the polymerization.