Elastomer Particle Monolayers Formed by the Compression of Poly(methyl acrylate) Microparticles at an Air/Water Interface.

In the previous study (Green Chem., 2023, 25, 3418), highly stretchable and mechanically tough poly(methyl acrylate) (pMA) microparticle-based elastomers can be formed by drying a microparticle-containing aqueous dispersion. This discovery has the potential to overcome the mechanical weakness of industrially produced aqueous latex films. However, in 3D-arranged particle films, structural complexity, such as the existence of defects, makes it difficult to clearly understand the relationship between the particle film structure and its mechanical properties. In this study, 2D-ordered pMA particle monolayers at the air/water interface of a Langmuir trough are prepared. Under high compression at the air/water interface, the microparticles contact their neighboring particles, and the resulting monolayers can be successfully transferred onto a solid substrate. The compression of the monolayer films is linked to an increase in the elastic modulus of the monolayer film on the solid substrate as evident from the local Young's modulus mapping using atomic force microscopy. Thus, pMA particle films with different mechanical properties can be created using a Langmuir trough.