Transport of Guest Molecules by Unimolecular Micelles Evidenced in Analytical Ultracentrifugation Experiments
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Rasa, Mircea; Meier, Michael; Schubert, Ulrich S.
- Abstract:
- The ability of star-shaped, block copolymer-based unimolecular micelles to encapsulate and
transport guest molecules was studied. Analytical ultracentrifugation studies clearly showed
that methyl-orange guest molecules could be encapsulated and transported, together with
unimolecular micelles consisting of 5-arm, star-shaped block copolymers with a poly(ethylene
glycol) core and a poly(e-caprolactone) corona. Sedimentation-velocity and equilibrium
measurements were performed to determine
the sedimentation coefficients, molar masses,
and diffusion coefficients of the loaded, unimolecular
micelles. It was observed that the transport
of guest molecules by unimolecular micelles was
a function of the molecular weight of the starshaped
block copolymers and therefore also of
their size.
- Year:
- 2007
- Type of Publication:
- Article
- Journal:
- Macromolecular Rapid Communications
- Volume:
- 28
- Pages:
- 1429 - 1433