Solvent-Induced Morphological Transition in Core-Cross-Linked Block Copolymer Micelles
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Huang, Haiying; Hoogenboom, Richard; Leenen, Mark A. M.; Guillet, Pierre; Jonas, Alain M.; Schubert, Ulrich S.; Gohy, Jean-Francois
- Abstract:
- Microwave-assisted polymerization has been utilized to synthesize amphiphilic poly(2-ethyl-2-
oxazoline-block-2-“soy alkyl”-2-oxazoline) diblock copolymers (PEtOx-PSoyOx). The amphiphilic block
copolymers have been used to prepare aqueous spherical micelles consisting of a PEtOx corona and a
PSoyOx core, which have been further cross-linked by UV irradiation. The morphology of these crosslinked
micelles has been shown to reversibly change from spheres to short rods referred to as rice grains
whenever the micelles were transferred from water into acetone, a nonselective solvent for the constituent
blocks. This morphological transition has been attributed to the swelling of the slightly cross-linked PSoyOx
core.
- Year:
- 2006
- Type of Publication:
- Article
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Chemical Society
- Volume:
- 128
- Pages:
- 3784 - 3788