Spherical single‐chain‐particles of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) were prepared in aqueous solution above the lower critical solution temperature upon the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The size of the single‐chain‐particles was investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy and viscosity measurements of the corresponding solutions, indicating the absence of inter‐chain entanglements among the single‐chain‐particles.
Schematic of the preparation of PNIPAM single‐chain‐globules in solution. 相似文献
Well‐defined amphiphilic PCL‐b‐PDMAEMA block copolymers were successfully synthesized by a combination of ATRP and “click” chemistry following either a commutative two‐step procedure or a straightforward one‐pot process using CuBr · 3Bpy as the sole catalyst. Compared to the traditional coupling method, combining ATRP and click chemistry even in a “one‐pot” process allows the preparation of PCL‐b‐PDMAEMA diblock copolymers characterized by a narrow molecular weight distribution and quantitative conversion of azides and alkynes into triazole functions. Moreover, the amphiphilic character of these copolymers was demonstrated by surface tension measurements and critical micellization concentration was calculated.
We report the synthesis of a novel pH‐responsive amphiphilic block copolymer poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)‐block‐poly(pentafluorostyrene) (PDMAEMA‐b‐PPFS) using RAFT‐mediated living radical polymerization. Copolymer micelle formation, in aqueous solution, was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy, static and dynamic light scattering (SLS and DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). DLS and SLS measurements revealed that the diblock copolymers form spherical micelles with large aggregation numbers, Nagg ≈ 30 where the dense PPFS core is surrounded by dangling PDMAEMA chains as the micelle corona. The hydrodynamic radii, Rh of these micelles is large, at pH 2–5 as the protonated PDMAEMA segments swell the micelle corona. Above pH 5, the PDMAEMA segments are gradually deprotonated, resulting in a lower osmotic pressure and enhanced hydrophobicity within the micelle, thus decreasing the Rh. However, the radius of gyration, Rg remains independent of pH as the dense PPFS cores predominate.
Summary: An electrografting technique has been combined with ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Poly(allyl methacrylate) chains have been chemisorbed onto steel and carbon plates under an appropriate cathodic potential in N,N‐dimethylformamide. The allyl moieties have been converted into Ru catalysts active in ROMP of norbornene and its derivatives. Initiation of ROMP from the surface is an efficient strategy to prepare strongly adhering coatings of tunable thickness and hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance, depending on the norbornene derivative polymerized at the surface.
The hydrophobicity of the polymer coating may be controlled by hydrolysis of the polynorbornene derivative. 相似文献
We have systematically studied the thin film morphologies of asymmetric polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PS‐b‐PEO) diblock copolymer subjected to solvent vapors of varying selectivity for the constituent blocks. Upon a short treatment in neutral or PS‐selective vapor, the film exhibited a highly ordered array of hexagonally packed, cylindrical microdomains. In the case of PEO selective vapor annealing, such ordered cylindrical microdomains were not obtained. Instead, fractal patterns on the microscale were observed and their growth processes investigated. Furthermore, hierarchical structures could be obtained if the fractal pattern was exposed to neutral or PS selective vapor.
Summary: The thiophene‐quinoxaline donor–acceptor conjugated copolymer poly[(thiophene‐2,5‐diyl‐alt‐(2,3‐diheptylquinoxaline‐5,8‐diyl)] (PTHQx) was explored as a semiconductor in thin‐film organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs). A hole mobility of 3.6 × 10−3 cm2 · V−1 · s−1 and an on/off current ratio of 6 × 105 were observed in p‐channel OFETs made from spin‐coated PTHQx thin films. The electronic structures of PTHQx and a related thiophene‐thienopyrazine donor–acceptor copolymer were calculated by density functional theory. Atomic force microscopy of PTHQx thin films showed a polycrystalline grain morphology that varied with the substrate.
Output (left) and transfer (right) characteristics of a PTHQx (structure shown) organic field‐effect transistor. 相似文献
Layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly was conducted on CaCO3 microparticles pre‐doped with polystyrene‐block‐poly(acrylic acid) (PS‐b‐PAA) micelles, and resulted in micelles encapsulation in the microcapsules after core removal. Distribution of the micelles in the templates and capsules was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The micelles inside the capsules connected with each other to form a chain and network‐like structure with a higher density near the capsule walls. The hydrophobic PS cores were then able to load small uncharged hydrophobic drugs while the negatively charged PAA corona could induce spontaneous deposition of water‐soluble positively charged drugs such as doxorubicin.
A PFS/PLA block copolymer was studied to probe the effect of strong surface interactions on pattern formation in PFS block copolymer thin films. Successful synthesis of PFS‐b‐PLA was demonstrated. Thin films of these polymers show phase separation to form PFS microdomains in a PLA matrix, and ultrathin films (<5 nm) formed SINPATs on silicon and mica. The SINPATs consisted of strongly surface‐adsorbed PLA blocks on top of which the PFS blocks dewetted into sphere‐like features. The lateral spacing between these features was regular, and was typically much larger than the length scale associated with regular block copolymer phase separation.
Summary: The influence of architecture on ink‐jet printability of polymer solutions is investigated by comparing linear and 6‐arm star PMMA. At comparable concentration and molecular weight, filament formation is much more pronounced for linear PMMA than for star PMMA. Visual examination of filament stretching allows estimation of the involved elongation rates, which are at high voltages sufficiently large for coil‐stretch transition of the chains, suggesting its role in filament formation.
The results obtained in this study suggest a possible role of the coil‐stretch transition of the polymer chains in filament formation. 相似文献
Summary: Fabrication of honeycomb‐patterned films from amphiphilic dendronized block copolymer (PEO113‐b‐PDMA82) by ‘on‐solid surface spreading’ and ‘on‐water spreading’ method is reported. Highly ordered honeycomb films with quasi‐horizontally paralleled double‐layered structure can be fabricated by the on‐solid surface spreading method. This work raises the possibility that such structures can be formed in amphiphilic dendronized block copolymers and extends the family of source materials.
Poly(L ‐lactic acid)‐block‐poly(poly(ethylene glycol) monomethacrylate) (PLLA‐b‐PPEGMA) has been prepared by the ring‐opening polymerization of lactide with a double‐headed initiator, 2‐hydroxyethyl 2′‐methyl‐2′‐bromopropionate (HMBP), followed by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of poly(ethylene glycol) monomethacrylate (PEGMA). PLLA‐b‐PPEGMA nanoparticles with encapsulated Fe3O4 are prepared by a solvent evaporation/extraction technique, and then further functionalized with folic acid, a cancer targeting ligand. Our results show that such functionalized PLLA‐b‐PPEGMA nanoparticles have good potential as carriers for targeted drug delivery in cancer treatment.
The mixed Langmuir monolayers and Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films of homo‐polystyrene (h‐PS) and the diblock copolymer polystyrene‐block‐poly(2‐vinylpyridine) (PS‐b‐P2VP) have been characterized by the Langmuir monolayer technique and tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. When the content of h‐PS is below 80 wt.‐%, the mixed LB films of h‐PS/PS‐b‐P2VP mainly exhibit isolated circular nanoaggregates. With a further increase of the h‐PS content (80–95%), however, highly uniform and stable necklace‐network structures are observed in the mixed LB films.
Well‐defined amphiphilic block‐graft copolymers PCL‐b‐[DTC‐co‐(MTC‐mPEG)] with polyethylene glycol methyl ether pendant chains were designed and synthesized. First, monohydroxyl‐terminated macroinitiators PCL‐OH were prepared. Then, ring‐opening copolymerization of 2,2‐dimethyltrimethylene carbonate (DTC) and cyclic carbonate‐terminated PEG (MTC‐mPEG) macromonomer was carried out in the presence of the macroinitiator in bulk to give the target copolymers. All the polymers were characterized by 1H NMR and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The polymers have unimodal molecular weight distributions and moderate polydispersity indexes. The amphiphilic block‐graft copolymers self‐assemble in water forming stable micelle solutions with a narrow size distribution.
This work reports on thermally tunable surface wettability of electrospun fiber mats of: polystyrene (PS)/poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) blended (bl‐PS/PNIPA) and crosslinked poly[(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐co‐[methacrylic acid)] (PNIPAMAA) (xl‐NIPAMAA). Both the bl‐PS/PNIPA and xl‐PNIPAMAA fiber mats demonstrate reversibly switchable surface wettability, with the bl‐PS/PNIPA fiber mats approaching superhydrophobic ≥150° and superhydrophilic contact angle (CA) values at extreme temperatures. Weight loss studies carried out at 10 °C indicate that the crosslinked PNIPAMAA fiber mats had better structural integrity than the bl‐PS/PNIPA fiber mats. PNIPA surface chemistry and the Cassie–Baxter model were used to explain the mechanism behind the observed extreme wettability.
Readily water‐soluble PEGylated amphiphiles containing bis‐thiourea‐based molecular recognition units at the interface of hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks are developed. Self‐assembly of these amphiphiles is found to be dependent on the exact chemical composition of the hydrophobic component. Elongated, spherical, and disk‐like micelles are formed with the change in hydrophobic group from stearyl (2A), oleyl (2B), and dodecanol (2C), respectively. The length of the rod‐like elongated micelles formed by 2A could be tuned by thermal treatment as well. Synthesis and detailed structural characterization of these amphiphiles by TEM, DSC, synchrotron SAXS techniques are reported. Organic solvent‐free direct aqueous encapsulation of doxorubicin, an anticancer drug into these nanostructures is demonstrated.
Summary: A series of helix‐coil diblock copolymers based on poly(ethylene oxide) and optically active helical poly{(+)‐2,5‐bis[4′‐((S)‐2‐methylbutoxy)phenyl]styrene} (PMBPS) were synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The synthetic methodology permitted straightforward preparation of the diblock copolymers with relatively low polydispersities and a broad range of compositions and molecular weights. Depending on the composing block length and the initial concentration, the copolymers self‐assembled into different supramolecular structures in aqueous solution, including spherical micelles, vesicles, multilamellar vesicles, large compound vesicles, and tubules.
Schematic representation of the synthesis of PEO‐b‐PMBPS block copolymers and their aggregation in aqueous solution. 相似文献
Summary: Amphiphilic triblock copolymers (PEOx‐b‐PDMSy‐b‐PEOx) with different block lengths were synthesized and multi‐morphological complex crew‐cut, star‐like, and short‐chain aggregates were prepared by self‐assembly of the given copolymers. The morphologies and dimensions of the aggregates can be well controlled by variation of the preparation conditions. TEM, SEM, FFR‐TEM, and LLS studies show the resulting morphologies range from LCMs, unilamellar or multilayer vesicles, LCVs, porous spheres to nanorods.
TEM images of the vesicles formed from PEO‐b‐PDMS‐b‐PEO. 相似文献
A precursor polymer PEO‐b‐PEMA that contains anilino moieties is synthesized from EPAEMA by ATRP by using a PEOBr macroinitiator and CuBr/HMTETA catalyst system. The aminoazobenzene‐containing block copolymer PEO‐b‐PCN is obtained by the azo‐coupling reaction between PEO‐b‐PEMA and the diazonium salt of 4‐aminobenzonitrile. Results show that PEO‐b‐PCN has a narrow molecular weight distribution and the repeat unit numbers of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks are 122 and 200, respectively. PEO‐b‐PCN can form uniform spherical aggregates by gradually adding water into its THF solution. Upon irradiation with a linearly polarized Ar+ laser beam, the spherical aggregates can be significantly elongated in the polarization direction of the light.
Three‐pole electrospinning devices integrated with a blade‐cage collector were developed to fabricate well‐aligned nano‐fiberous membranes. The proposed three‐pole configuration with a channel electrode can be a powerful tool in aligning nano‐fibers with regular diameter because the generated electric field can be accurately controlled without severe fluctuation in comparison with other methods. The three‐pole electrospinning method is also valid for industrial mass production and accurate diameter control of the aligned nano‐fibers.
Two novel monovinyl β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) monomers are synthesized. Their chemical compositions are characterized by means of element analysis, NMR and FT‐IR spectroscopy. The results show that the synthesis techniques used are convenient and efficient. Using N‐isopropylacrylamide as a comonomer, two novel linear copolymers can also be synthesized.
