Miniemulsion Polymerization as a Means to Encapsulate Organic and Inorganic Materials.

The miniemulsion technique greatly enhances the possibilities for the preparation of hybrid nanomaterials by encapsulating molecular compounds, liquids, or solid material. Using this technique, a wide variety of novel functional nanocomposites can be generated that are not accessible with other techniques. After briefly introducing miniemulsions and the miniemulsion polymerization techniques for the preparation of polymeric nanoparticles, this review focuses on the preparation of functional nanostructures by encapsulation of organic or inorganic material in polymeric matrices. The examples presented highlight the possibility to either protect the encapsulated material (e.g., dyes, drugs, magnetite, or DNA) and create completely new properties that emerge in a synergistic manner from the components of the nanocomposites, or to perform reactions in polymer-enclosed vessels of submicrometer size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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