Interfacial behaviour of block polyelectrolytes,III. Formation of surface micelles

The aggregation of (poly)styrene/quaternized (poly)-4-vinylpyridine diblocks into regular circular structures has been observed in Langmuir-Blodgett films removed from a pure water surface. These novel aggregates, termed surface micelles, form at low surface pressures (< 2 mN/m) and exhibit rich isotherm behaviour as Langmuir films. A distinct first order phase transition is observed for the decylated derivatives of a series of diblocks (i.e. (PS)₂₆₀(C₁₀PVP⁺I⁻)_n; n = 70, 120, 240) which has been interpreted as a transition from an entirely surface-adsorbed micelle to a surface micelle whose polyelectrolyte chains have been forced into the aqueous subphase. Transmission electron and atomic force micrographs of LB films provide for direct visualization of these surface micelles as well as the means to estimate their aggregation numbers, N.     

Micellization of PEO/PS block copolymers at the air/water interface: a simple model for predicting the size and aggregation number of circular surface micelles

Isotherms of monolayers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and polystyrene (PS) triblock copolymers spread at the air/water interface were obtained by film balance technique. In a low concentration regime, the PEO segments surrounding the PS cores behave the same way as in monolayers of PEO homopolymers. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films prepared by transferring the monolayers onto mica at various surface pressures were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results reveal that these block copolymers form micelles at the air/water interface. Within the micelles, the PS blocks act as anchoring structures at the interface. In several cases, aggregation patterns were modified by the dewetting processes that occur in Langmuir-Blodgett films transferred to solid substrates. High transfer surface pressures and metastable states favored these changes in morphology. A flowerlike surface micelle model is proposed to explain the organization of the surface circular micelles. The model can be generalized and applied to diblock copolymers as well. The model permits prediction of the aggregation number and the size of circular surface micelles formed by PEO/PS block copolymers at the air/water interface.     

Polymer micelles as building blocks for the incorporation of azobenzene: enhancing the photochromic properties in layer-by-layer films

We described the use of block copolymer micelles as building blocks for the incorporation of water-insoluble photochromic species of azobenzene and the fabrication of multilayer films by alternating the deposition of the block copolymer micelles of poly(styrene-b-acrylic acid), incorporating azobenzene and poly(diallyl-dimethylammonium chloride). The azobenzene incorporated into the block copolymer micelles can undergo a reversible photoisomerization under the irradiation of UV and visible light sources. An interesting finding is that the photoisomerization of the azobenzene in the multilayer film is faster than it is in its normal solid film, but very similar to that in its diluted solution. Furthermore, the amount of azobenzene incorporated into the micelles can influence the photoisomerization rates in the films. Therefore, we expect that the block copolymer micelles may provide a proper microenvironment for the photoisomerization of azobenzene and the as-prepared polyelectrolyte/block copolymer micelle thin films will be useful for photoswitching materials.     

A neutron scattering study of the structure and water partitioning of selectively deuterated copolymer micelles

We present a scattering study of a selectively deuterated micelle-forming diblock copolymer. The copolymer comprises a partially deuterated polystyrene (d,h-PS) block and an imidazolium-functionalized PS (IL) block. In toluene solutions, the copolymers assemble into elongated micelles where the IL block forms the micelle core. Through dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements, we obtain the overall size of the micelles. In our small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) studies, we use contrast matching to characterize the IL core and the PS shell of the micelles independently. The PS block forming the micelle shell exhibits either a starlike or brushlike conformation depending upon the size of the core to which it is tethered. We find the IL block to be in an extended conformation, driving the formation of slightly elongated and relatively stiff micelle cores. The elongated micelle core cross-sectional radius and length depend linearly on the length of the IL block. We find that the micelles can sequester a few water molecules for each IL repeat unit; the addition of water slightly increases the cross section of the elongated micelles.     

Nanoscale elastic modulus variation in loaded polymeric micelle reactors

Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) enables mapping of chemical composition at the nanoscale by taking advantage of the variation in phase angle shift arising from an embedded second phase. We demonstrate that phase contrast can be attributed to the variation in elastic modulus during the imaging of zinc acetate (ZnAc)-loaded reverse polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) diblock co-polymer micelles less than 100 nm in diameter. Three sample configurations were characterized: (i) a 31.6 μm thick polystyrene (PS) support film for eliminating the substrate contribution, (ii) an unfilled PS-b-P2VP micelle supported by the same PS film, and (iii) a ZnAc-loaded PS-b-P2VP micelle supported by the same PS film. Force-indentation (F-I) curves were measured over unloaded micelles on the PS film and over loaded micelles on the PS film, using standard tapping mode probes of three different spring constants, the same cantilevers used for imaging of the samples before and after loading. For calibration of the tip geometry, nanoindentation was performed on the bare PS film. The resulting elastic modulus values extracted by applying the Hertz model were 8.26 ± 3.43 GPa over the loaded micelles and 4.17 ± 1.65 GPa over the unloaded micelles, confirming that phase contrast images of a monolayer of loaded micelles represent maps of the nanoscale chemical and mechanical variation. By calibrating the tip geometry indirectly using a known soft material, we are able to use the same standard tapping mode cantilevers for both imaging and indentation.     

表面活性剂胶束实现疏水分子在聚合物微凝胶层层组装膜中的高效负载

基于层层组装技术制备了聚烯丙基胺-葡聚糖微凝胶(记作PAH-D)/透明质酸钠(HA)膜, 将包覆有芘分子的十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)表面活性剂胶束基于静电作用力负载到PAH-D/HA微凝胶膜中, 实现了疏水分子芘在微凝胶膜中的高效负载. 紫外-可见吸收光谱和荧光光谱证实了SDS胶束包覆的芘分子被稳定地负载在PAH-D微凝胶膜中. 透过光谱表明负载有芘分子的(PAH-D/HA)*10微凝胶膜在可见光区仍保持良好光学透过性. 芘在膜中的负载量可以通过改变PAH-D/HA微凝胶膜的沉积周期数和SDS胶束中包覆芘分子的浓度而实现调控. 具有光致变色性质的螺吡喃分子同样可以借助SDS胶束负载到PAH-D/HA微凝胶膜中, 制备具有光致变色性质的层层组装膜. 本工作为疏水有机分子在层层组装聚合物膜中的高效负载提供了一种简便、易行的方法.     

Structure and dynamics of highly PEG-ylated sterically stabilized micelles in aqueous media

Molecular assemblies of highly PEG-ylated phospholipids are important in many biomedical applications. We have studied sterically stabilized micelles (SSMs) of self-assembled DSPE–PEG2000 in pure water and isotonic HEPES-buffered saline solution. The observed SSM sizes of 2–15 nm largely depend on the solvent and the lipid concentration used. The critical micelle concentration of DSPE–PEG2000 is 10 times higher in water than in buffer, and the viscosity of the dispersion dramatically increases with the lipid concentration. To explain the experimentally observed results, we performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of solvated SSMs. Our modeling revealed that the observed assemblies have very different aggregation numbers (N(agg) ≈ 90 in saline solution and N(agg) < 8 in water) because of very different screening of their charged PO4(–) groups. We also demonstrate that the micelle cores can inflate and their coronas can fluctuate strongly, thus allowing storage and delivery of molecules with different chemistries.     

“Supramolecular” Amphiphiles Created by Wrapping Poly(styrene) with the Helix‐Forming β‐1,3‐Glucan Polysaccharide

We have demonstrated that giant polymer micelles with a uniform diameter (ca. 200 nm) can be fabricated by “supramolecular wrapping” of poly(styrene) (PS) with the β‐1,3‐glucan polysaccharide, with the β‐1,3‐glucan fastening the PS chains together in a noncovalent fashion to facilitate the formation of a supramolecular polymer network on the O/W emulsion surface. Various spectroscopic and microscopic investigations have revealed that the inner cores of the micelles are comprised of a hydrophobic PS network, whereas the surfaces consist of a hydrophilic β‐1,3‐glucan layer. Accordingly, functional guest molecules can easily be encapsulated inside the cavity through hydrophobic interactions. The encapsulated molecules can simply be released from the micelle cores by peeling off the β‐1,3‐glucan shell in a supramolecular manner. As functional groups can be introduced into the glucose side‐chain unit in a straightforward manner by chemical modification, the micellar surface can acquire further functions useful for molecular recognition. These results show that the micelles obtained could have applications as novel soft nanoparticles, which would be indispensable not only for nanotechnologies, but also for biotechnologies aimed at gene or drug delivery systems.     

光散射法研究氧化胺胶束与聚苯乙烯磺酸钠的相互作用

采用光散射法研究了十二烷基二甲基氧化胺(DDAO)胶束与聚苯乙烯磺酸钠(NaPSS)的相互作用,浊度滴定和激光光散射结果表明,DDAO胶束与NaPSS的相互作用受介质离子强度影响,但与胶束浓度无关,浊度滴定曲线出现一个转折点(β_c),而平均流体力学半径R_h对胶束离解度β的关系曲线出现2个转折点,在第一个转折点(β₁)时,胶束与NaPSS开始缔合,在第二个转折点(β₂)时,胶束与NaPSS的缔合达到饱和,β₂相当于浊度滴定曲线的转折β_c,β₂,和β₁不随离子强度而变化,采用β₁和β_c分别计算胶束与NaPSS发生缔合时的临界表面电荷密度,两者差距约为15％,电泳光散射也证实了β₁的存在.     

The micellar behavior of linear triblock terpolymers of styrene (S), isoprene (I), and methyl methacrylate (MMA) in selective solvents for PS and PMMA

A series of linear triblock terpolymers consisting of polystyrene (PS), polyisoprene (PI) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were examined in tetrahydrofuran (THF), a good solvent for all the blocks and in dimethylacetamide (DMA) and dimethylformamide (DMF), selective solvents for PS and PMMA. In DMA and DMF, which are both non-solvents for PI, multimolecular micelles were formed. The micelles were characterized by low-angle laser light scattering (LALLS), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and viscometry. The aggregation number of the triblock terpolymers was greater in DMF than in DMA, reflecting the higher non-solvent strength of DMF for PI. The aggregation number was also found to increase with increasing PI content of the terpolymers in both DMA and DMF. The hydrodynamic radii depended on the aggregation number of the micelle and the length of the corona forming PS and PMMA blocks. The complexity involved in studying a system consisting of three different polymer blocks is discussed in the context of the results obtained.     

Micelles of imidazolium-functionalized polystyrene diblock copolymers investigated with neutron and light scattering

We synthesize a series of block copolymers comprising a polystyrene (PS) block and an imidazolium-functionalized PS (IL) block and characterize their assembly properties. We use small-angle neutron scattering and dynamic light scattering to determine the micelle size and shape in dilute solutions and to assess the micelle interactions in concentrated solutions. By studying a series of copolymers with fixed PS block length, we find that the length of the IL block governs the micelle dimensions. Our data suggest that these copolymers form elongated micelle structures where the IL block is extended in the micelle core. We find that these micelles can sequester water and that interactions between the micelles lead to structure factor peaks at elevated concentrations.     

Study of reverse micelles of di-isobutyl-phenoxy-ethoxy-ethyl-dimethyl-benzyl ammonium methacrylate in benzene by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

(1)H NMR spectroscopy was used to investigate the aggregation of the surfactant di-isobutyl-phenoxy-ethoxy-ethyl-dimethyl-benzyl ammonium methacrylate (Hyamine-M) in benzene. Adding water makes swollen reverse micelles (microemulsion droplets). The droplets also contain cadmium ions and the sodium salt of the methacrylic acid. The critical micelle concentration of Hyamine-M was determined by NMR to be 3.95 mM under the current conditions. Two-dimensional NMR NOESY spectra were used to study the conformation of the surfactant in the micelle and the spatial localization of water and counterions. We found that the surfactant molecules are folded with both phenyl fragments oriented toward the micelle exterior and the oxyethylene and NCH(3) groups in the micelle core. The water molecules and counterions are distributed around the surfactant polar groups in the micelle interior and penetrate up to both aromatic rings. The investigated system can be further utilized as a microemulsion matrix for the synthesis of cadmium-containing semiconductor nanocrystals, eventually capped with a polymer shell, or of polymer nanoparticles.     

Computer Simulation of Luminophore Solubilization in Reverse Micelles

The solubilization of ionic (sodium naphthalene-2,6-disulfonate) and nonionic (diethyl 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalate) organic luminophores in water–isooctane–NaАОТ (sodium 1,4-bis[(2-ethylhexyl) oxy]-1,4-dioxybutane-2-sulfonate) reverse micelles is simulated by the molecular dynamics method. In a stationary state, the localization of luminophore molecules in a micelle appears to be the same irrespective of their initial positions in the system. The position and orientation of solubilized luminophores relative to a reverse micelle depend on the hydrophobicity and the capability for dissociation of the functional groups of their molecules, the size of the reverse micelle, and the structure of its electrical double layer.     

Stoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes of ionic block copolymers and oppositely charged polyions

Micellization in dilute solutions of diblock copolymers with a polyelectrolyte and a hydrophilic nonionic blocks and oppositely charged polyions is studied using mean-field theory. In aqueous solutions the micelle core consists of the polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) while the corona is formed by hydrophilic blocks of the block copolymers. Describing PEC as a globule in the framework of the Lifshitz [Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 55, 2408 (1968)] globule theory we calculate the surface tension of the micellar core/solvent interface as a function of the polyion degree of ionization, solvent quality, and concentration of low-molecular-mass salt. The equilibrium aggregation number of starlike micelles formed by block copolymers and homopolymers of opposite charge at stoichiometric mixture compositions is found as a function of the system parameters. It is shown that micelles disintegrate upon addition of salt.     

Extension of the ladder model of self-assembly from cylindrical to disclike surfactant micelles

The ladder model of growth of cylindrical micelles gives expressions for the micellar size distribution and for the mean aggregation number, which are in good agreement with the experiment. Here, we consider this model and its extension to the case of disclike micelles. In analogy with the modeling of elongated micelles as sphero-cylinders, the disclike micelles can be modeled as toro-discs. Upon micelle growth, the hemispherical caps of a cylindrical aggregate remain unchanged, whereas the semitoroidal periphery of a disclike micelle expands. This effect can be taken into account in the expression for the size distribution of the disclike micelles, which predicts the dependence of the micelle mean aggregation number on the surfactant concentration. It turns out that disclike micelles could form in a limited range of surfactant concentrations, and that their mean aggregation number cannot exceed a certain maximal value. Large disclike micelles can exist only near the border with the domain of cylindrical micelles. Then, small variations in the experimental conditions could induce a transformation of the disclike micelles into cylindrical ones.     

Successful preferential formation of a novel macromolecular assembly--trilayered polymeric micelle--that can incorporate hydrophilic compounds: the optimization of factors affecting the micelle formation from amphiphilic block copolymers

We have developed a novel macromolecular assembly, trilayered polymeric micelle, which can incorporate hydrophilic compounds. The micelle can be prepared from the amphiphilic block copolymers without regard to their properties such as the copolymer's charges and the homogeneity of the copolymers forming the micelle's inner and outer parts. In this study, we investigated the optimal condition for the preferential formation of the trilayered polymeric micelle. GPC results clarified that the composition of the block copolymer, the concentration of PVA in the aqueous bulk phase, and the temperature during the preparation were the important preparation factors affecting preferential formation of the trilayered polymeric micelles. We successfully achieved the preferential formation of the trilayered polymeric micelles under optimal conditions. Furthermore, we confirmed that the model hydrophilic compound, FITC-dextran, was successfully encapsulated into the hydrophilic core of the trilayered polymeric micelles. The novel micelle that can incorporate hydrophilic compounds can have a variety of future medical applications such as a protein delivery-based therapy.     

Effect of compressed CO2 on the critical micelle concentration and aggregation number of AOT reverse micelles in isooctane

The effect of compressed CO2 on the critical micelle concentration (cmc) and aggregation number of sodium bis-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles in isooctane solution was studied by UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy methods in the temperature range of 303.2-318.2 K and at different pressures or mole fractions of CO2 (X(CO2)). The capacity of the reverse micelles to solubilize water was also determined by direct observation. The standard Gibbs free energy (DeltaGo(m)), standard enthalpy (DeltaHo(m)), and standard entropy (DeltaSo(m)) for the formation of the reverse micelles were calculated by using the cmc data determined. It was discovered that the cmc versus X(CO2) curve and the DeltaGo(m) versus X(CO2) curve for a fixed temperature have a minimum, and the aggregation number and water-solubilization capacity of the reverse micelles reach a maximum at the X(CO2) value corresponding to that minimum. These results indicate that CO2 at a suitable concentration favors the formation of and can stabilize AOT reverse micelles. A detailed thermodynamic study showed that the driving force for the formation of the reverse micelles is entropy.     

Long-chain alkyl sulfonate micelle fission: a molecular dynamics study

In this study, we investigate micelle fission of long-chain alkyl sulfonate molecules using atomistic scale simulation. GROMACS software code with the united atom force field was applied. 0.5-μs parallel molecular dynamics simulation study was conducted for a surfactant/water system consisting of 192 sodium pentadecyl sulfonate and 40,553 water molecules. The large preassembled micelle was ruptured at Krafft above T?=?323-K temperature, and we track two ellipsoid-like micelles over the course of the production run. To estimate the micelle shape, we determined the principal moments of inertia and the eccentricity, which proved that the micelles have a pronounced prolate spheroid shape, which agrees well with our previous experimental data. The mechanism of micelle fission was explored in detail. The aggregation number, ionization degree, and other parameters obtained from simulation were consistent with existing experimental finding. The determined parameters in addition to simple visual inspection of trajectories revealed monomer-micelle exchange—with the estimated relaxation time τ ₁?=?10^??9s. We assume that the exchange process is conditioned by the unequal size of micelles leading to adjustment of aggregation number.     

Aggregation energies of nonionic micelles calculated via pair potentials

The aggregation energies of two different forms of nonionic isolated micelles belonging to a binary oil-in-water system were calculated by using pairwise central potentials. One of the micelles is an elongated form (the spherocylinder); the other one is a flat form (the square tablet). The spherocylinder and the square tablet degenerate into the same spherical micelle at low aggregation numbers, whereas they form elongated cylinders and lamellae, respectively, at very high aggregation numbers. Both forms are of particular importance in some nematic systems involving a phase transition. The interaction energy among the polar heads of the amphiphilic molecules was calculated using a central Lennard-Jones potential. The interaction energy among the hydrocarbon chains in the micelle bulk was calculated via a phenomenological potential model. The calculations were performed considering a wide range of values of the parameters involved (i.e. polar head diameter, chain length). The entropic contribution to the aggregation free energy is similar for both micelles, and so their relative stability depends principally on the aggregation energy. The micelle aggregation energy depends strongly on the aggregation number and other geometrical parameters for both forms. The present results are consistent with those obtained using the surfactant parameter model, which permits the evaluation of the elastic bending energy of the micelle membrane for both forms. Received: 29 March 1999 Accepted in revised form: 28 June 1999