Golf Ball-like Polymer Particles by Colloidal Etching

The unique core-corona structure of raspberry-like particles makes it an ideal template for the fabrication of golf ball-like particles by selective removal of the corona particles. However, few types of raspberry-like polymer-polymer core-corona composite particles have been used as the templates, probably because it is relatively difficult to synthesize well-defined raspberry-like polymer-polymer composite particles. We describe, for the first time, the fabrication of golf ball-like polymer particles by colloidal etching of raspberry-like poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-polystyrene (PGMA-PS) composite particles in a tetrahydrofuran (THF)/water medium with a higher THF concentration. Well-defined golf ball-like polymer particles can be obtained within 20 s. The influence of various synthesis parameters including the THF concentration, etching time, and composite particle size on the morphology of the resulting particles has been investigated, which suggests that a sufficient THF concentration is a prerequisite for the rapid formation of the golf ball-like morphology.