Relating Nanoparticle Shape and Adhesiveness to Performance as Flotation Collectors

Cationic polystyrene-core-poly­(n-butyl methacrylate)-shell (PS–PB) nanoparticles perform as flotation collectors as they spontaneously adsorb onto 43 μm glass beads in water, promoting glass bead attachment to air bubbles. Under our flotation conditions at room temperature, polystyrene is a hard plastic, whereas, with glass transition near room temperature, poly­(n-butyl methacrylate) is a soft polymer. Colloidal probe atomic force microscopy …