Synthesis of Janus Particle Arrays and Janus Films through an Interfacial Polymerization Method

Abstract

We report the fabrication of Janus particle arrays and Janus films through the combination of selfassembly of spheres on a water surface and interfacial polymerization of pyrrole or aniline around the spheres. With a low concentration of monomer, it is found that only the water-exposed side of the spheres are coated with a thin layer of polypyrrole (PPy) or polyaniline (PANI), leading to the formation of Janus particle arrays. At an elevated monomer concentration an additional PPy or PANI layer forms on the water surface and further increase in the concentration leads to the coalescence of the layers on water surface and on the waterexposed side of spheres, both of which produce Janus films with PS spheres embedded in a structured conducting polymer.