Poly-N-(4-benzoylphenyl)methacrylamide nanoparticles: Preparation, characterization, and photoreactivity features

The design and preparation of novel photoreactive poly-N-(4-benzoylphenyl) methacrylamide-based nanoparticles (NPs) are reported herein. The starting photoreactive monomer, N-4-benzoylphenyl methacrylamide, was prepared by amidation of the photoreactive species 4-aminobenzophenone with methacryloyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine. Corresponding 97 nm-sized NPs were obtained using a dispersion polymerization technique. Deep surface and bulk characterization of resulting polyBPMA NPs were performed using a combination of transmission and scanning electron microscopies (NP morphology), dynamic light scattering (NP size and size distribution), ? potential (surface NP charge), thermo-gravimetric measurements (weight loss profiling), differential scanning calorimetry (heat transmission features), infrared and ultra-violet spectroscopies (functionality checking), nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR, functionality confirmation), gel permeation chromatography (average polymer molecular weight), and mass spectrometry (average polymer molecular weight). Different reaction conditions were investigated for optimal fabrication of corresponding polyBPMA NPs. In addition and most importantly, their UV-mediated photo-reactivity with nonfunctional parylene C (PC) polymer coatings has been investigated towards NP covalent attachment. The successful bonding of such photo-reactive polymeric NPs onto PC films was confirmed by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy and by both atomic force- and scanning electron-microscopies.