The pH induced vesicle to micelle morphology transition of a THP‐protected polymer |
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| Authors: | Kay E B Doncom Helen Willcock Rachel K O'Reilly |
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| Institution: | Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, , Gibbet Hill, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom |
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| Abstract: | A diblock copolymer consisting of tetrahydropyranyl acrylate (THPA) as a pH‐deprotectable block, and a permanently hydrophobic block, methyl acrylate, was synthesized by RAFT polymerization using a quaternary amine functionalized, hydrophilic, RAFT chain transfer agent. The polymer self‐assembled in water to form vesicles with Dh = 130 nm, as determined by DLS and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. Acid catalyzed deprotection of the THPA units to yield acrylic acid resulted in a vesicle to micelle morphology transition, as evidenced by the decrease in hydrodynamic diameter to Dh = 19 nm and the observation of micelles by dry state transmission electron microscopy. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 3026–3031 |
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| Keywords: | diblock copolymer micelle morphology pH‐responsive RAFT transition vesicle |
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