Synthesis of a spiropyran-based acrylic monomer and preparation of its latex nanoparticles with photochromic properties

Polymers based on photochromic compounds can reversibly change their physical and chemical properties by UV irradiation. In this work, acrylic monomer containing spiropyran photochromic dye (SPMA) was copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) through emulsion polymerization to prepare photochromic latex. The obtained polymer particles with 40-80 nm diameters were characterized by SEM and DLS analyses and photochromic properties were studied by UV-Vis analysis. The presence of epoxy functional groups was confirmed by FTIR analysis, revealing their activity for further modification reactions