Abstract
The interplay between nanoparticles and polymer domains dominates the particle distribution and structural evolution of multiphase polymer blends. We herein report the effect of the viscoelasticity (wetting kinetics) of polymer domains on the particle distribution in poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/ethylene-acrylic ester-glycidyl methacrylate terpolymer (EGMA) blends incorporating nano-silica (SiO2). Due to the thermodynamic favorable equilibrium, SiO2 nanoparticles migrate from the PLA matrix to the droplet EGMA domains, jamming near the interface. Upon crosslinking of EGMA, SiO2 nanoparticles will assemble at the interface to suppress the coalescence of EGMA domains and form a hybrid particle-bridged droplet network. The wetting process of EGMA on the SiO2 surface dominates the diffusion of nanoparticles and coalescence of EGMA domains, which can be regulated by controlled crosslinking. The slight crosslinking kinetically slows the wetting process of EGMA domains on the SiO2 surface and retards approaching the thermodynamic equilibrium, resulting in the interfacial assembly of nanoparticles.