Innovative and high performance synthesis of microcapsules containing methyl anthranilate by microsuspension iodine transfer polymerization

P(MMA‐co‐EGDMA) microcapsules containing methyl anthranilate as a model essential oil without submicrometer‐sized, byproduct particles, giving high encapsulation efficiency, were successfully prepared by ms ITP. In this research, preparations of polymer microcapsule encapsulated methyl anthranilate (MA) as an essential oil model by both microsuspension conventional radical polymerization (ms CRP) and microsuspension iodine transfer polymerization (ms ITP) using methyl methacrylate (MMA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) copolymer as the polymer shell were studied. In the case of ms CRP, a large amount of free polymer particles nucleated in aqueous medium were obtained. Using ms ITP, the free polymer particle formation was significantly depressed. Iodoform (CHI3) as a chain transfer agent with 0.8 wt% relative to the monomer, such a phenomenon was not observed. Various emulsifiers (oleic acid, Span 80 and PEG 30 dipolyhydroxystearate (DPHS)) with low hydrophile–lipophile balance value were used to retain MA in the monomer droplets or polymerizing particles. DPHS is the most effective emulsifier to retain MA in microcapsules giving 58% encapsulation at 20 wt% of DPHS relative to MA. In addition, from the controlled release study, only 55 wt% of the encapsulated MA was released by 90 days. Polymer microcapsule encapsulated MA using an MMA‐EGDMA copolymer shell with a high percentage of encapsulation and without free polymer particles was successfully prepared for the first time. Based on slow release of the encapsulated MA, the prepared microcapsules could be used in various applications. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry