Design and proof of reversible micelle‐to‐vesicle multistimuli‐responsive morphological regulations |
| |
Authors: | Qiao Jin Christoph Luy Jian Ji Seema Agarwal |
| |
Institution: | 1. Fachbereich Chemie, Philipps‐Universit?t Marburg, Hans‐Meerwein Strasse, Marburg, Hesse D‐35032, Germany;2. MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China |
| |
Abstract: | Multistimuli‐responsive precise morphological control over self‐assembled polymers is of great importance for applications in nanoscience as drug delivery system. A novel pH, photoresponsive, and cyclodextrin‐responsive block copolymer were developed to investigate the reversible morphological transition from micelles to vesicles. The azobenzene‐containing block copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(2‐(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate‐co‐6‐(4‐phenylazo phenoxy)hexyl methacrylate) PEO‐b‐P(DEAEMA‐co‐PPHMA)] was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. This system can self‐assemble into vesicles in aqueous solution at pH 8. On adjusting the solution pH to 3, there was a transition from vesicles to micelles. The same behavior, that is, transition from vesicles to micelles was also realizable on addition of β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) to the PEO‐b‐P(DEAEMA‐co‐PPHMA) solution at pH 8. Furthermore, after β‐CD was added, alternating irradiation of the solution with UV and visible light can also induce the reversible micelle‐to‐vesicle transition because of the photoinduced trans‐to‐cis isomerization of azobenzene units. The multistimuli‐responsive precise morphological changes were studied by laser light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and UV–vis spectra. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011 |
| |
Keywords: | azobenzene host‐guest systems micelles morphological regulation stimuli‐responsive vesicles |
|
|