| Abstract: | Polymeric vesicles were obtained by a free radical polymerization of aqueous dispersions of the tocopherol-containing nonionic single-chain amphiphile 3 synthesized by the reaction of O-tocopheryloligo(oxyethylene) chloroacetate ( 2 ) and 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate. Weight-average molar masses (M̄w) of the polymeric vesicles estimated by gel permeation chromatography are in the range of 75000–115000. The phase transition temperature (Tc) of the polymeric vesicles is 77°C, which is higher than that of the monomeric vesicles, 51°C. Transmission electron microscopy photographs show that the polymerization of monomeric vesicles of 3 leads to the formation of mostly polymeric, elliptic vesicles of distinct morphology having short axes of ca. 300–1200 Å and long axes of ca. 600–2400 Å. The polymeric vesicles exhibit an enhanced stability compared with their monomeric counterparts. |
