Bio‐Based Hybrid Magnetic Latex Particles Containing Encapsulated γ ‐Fe 2 O 3 by Miniemulsion Copolymerization of Soybean Oil‐Acrylated Methyl Ester and Styrene

This work reports the use of acrylated fatty acid methyl ester (AFAME) as a biomonomer for the synthesis of bio‐based hybrid magnetic particles poly(styrene‐ co ‐AFAME)/γ‐Fe 2 O 3 produced by miniemulsion polymerization. Poly(styrene‐ co ‐AFAME)/γ‐Fe 2 O 3 can be tailored for use in various fields by varying the content of AFAME. The strategy employed is to encapsulate superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) as γ‐Fe 2 O 3 into a styrene/AFAME‐based copolymer matrix. Raman spectroscopy is employed to ensure the formation of the SPIONs (γ‐Fe 2 O 3 ) obtained by a co‐precipitation technique followed by oxidation of Fe 3 O 4 . The functionalization of SPIONs with oleic acid (OA) is carried out to increase the SPIONs–monomer affinity. The presence of OA on the surface of γ‐Fe 2 O 3 is certified by identification of main absorption bands by fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Thermal analysis (differential thermogravimetry/differential thermo analysis and differential scanning calorimetry) results of poly(styrene‐ co ‐AFAME)/γ‐Fe 2 O 3 show an increase in AFAME content leading to a lower copolymer glass transition temperature ( T g ). Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements result in poly(styrene‐ co ‐AFAME)/γ‐Fe 2 O 3 particles with diameter in the range of 100–150 nm. It is also observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cryo‐TEM techniques that γ‐Fe 2 O 3 particles are successfully encapsulated into the poly(styrene‐ co ‐AFAME) matrix.