Structure of colloidal complexes obtained from neutral/poly- electrolyte copolymers and oppositely charged surfactants

We report on the phase behavior and scattering properties of colloidal complexes made from block copolymers and surfactants. The copolymer is poly(sodium acrylate)-b-poly(acrylamide), hereafter abbreviated as PANa-PAM, with molecular weight 5000 g/mol for the first block and 30000 g/mol for the second. In aqueous solutions and neutral pH, poly(sodium acrylate) is a weak polyelectrolyte, whereas poly(acrylamide) is neutral and in good-solvent conditions. The surfactant is dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) and is of opposite charge with respect to the polyelectrolyte block. Combining dynamical light scattering and small-angle neutron scattering, we show that in aqueous solutions PANa-PAM diblocks and DTAB associate into colloidal complexes. For surfactant-to-polymer charge ratios Z lower than a threshold (Z(C) approximately 0.3), the complexes are single surfactant micelles decorated by few copolymers. Above the threshold, the colloidal complexes reveal an original core-shell microstructure. We have found that the core of typical radius 100-200 A is constituted from densely packed surfactant micelles connected by the polyelectrolyte blocks. The outer part of the colloidal complex is a corona and is made from the neutral poly(acrylamide) chains. Typical hydrodynamic sizes for the whole aggregate are around 1000 A. The aggregation numbers expressed in terms of numbers of micelles and copolymers per complex are determined and found to be comprised between 100-400, depending on the charge ratio Z and on the total concentration. We have also shown that the sizes of the complexes depend on the exact procedure of the sample preparation. We propose that the driving mechanism for the complex formation is similar to that involved in the phase separation of homopolyelectrolyte/surfactant systems. With copolymers, the presence of the neutral blocks prevents the macroscopic phase separation from occurring.     

Molecular mobility of confined phases in model mesoporous (MCM-41) and microporous (AlPO4-5 zeolite) host materials

This paper discusses the self-assembly of block copolymers into vesicular morphology. After a brief state of art of the field, a system based on an amphiphilic poly(butadiene)-b-poly(-L-glutamic acid) (PB-b-PGA) diblock copolymer in aqueous solution is discussed in detail. The aggregation behavior of this block copolymer has been investigated by means of fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic (DLS) and static (SLS) light scattering as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The diblock copolymer was found to form well-defined vesicles in water. The size of these so-called polymersomes or peptosomes could be reversibly manipulated as a function of both pH and ion strength. Depending on the pH of the aqueous solution, the hydrodynamic radii of these vesicles were found to vary from 100 nm to 150 nm. By cross-linking the 1,2-vinyl double bonds present in the polybutadiene block, the ability to transform a transient supramolecular self-organized aggregate into a permanent “shape-persistent stimuli-responsive nanoparticle” has been demonstrated. Received 25 June 2002 and Received in final form 22 October 2002 Published online: 11 March 2003     

Novel Route to Control Interfacial Properties of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polystyrene Composites via a Photo-Cross-Linkable Block Copolymer Coupling Agent

A diblock copolymer of polystyrene–block–poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PS-b-PHEA) was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and reacted with cinnamoyl chloride in triethylamine to yield PS-b-(PCEA-co-PHEA) copolymer with photo-cross-linkable poly(2-cinnamoylethyl acrylate) (PCEA) moieties. Then the triblock copolymer of polystyrene–block–poly(2-cinnamoylethyl acrylate-co-2-hydroxyethyl acrylate)–block–poly(γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane) (PS-b-(PCEA-co-PHEA)-b-PMPS) was synthesized viaATRP from PS-b-(PCEA-co-PHEA) copolymer. Using as-prepared triblock copolymer as a macromolecular coupling agent to modify glass fibers, via microbond tests, the interfacial bond strength between pretreated glass fiber and polystyrene was compared before and after copolymer photo-crosslinking. The partially crosslinked block copolymer coupling agent greatly improved the interfacial adhesion of glass fiber-reinforced polystyrene.     

Enantiomeric PLA–PEG block copolymers and their stereocomplex micelles used as rifampin delivery

A novelty approach to self-assembling stereocomplex micelles by enantiomeric PLA–PEG block copolymers as a drug delivery carrier was described. The particles were encapsulated by enantiomeric PLA–PEG stereocomplex to form nanoscale micelles different from the microspheres or the single micelles by PLLA or PDLA in the reported literatures. First, the block copolymers of enantiomeric poly(l-lactide)–poly(ethylene–glycol) (PLLA–PEG) and poly(D-lactide)–poly(ethylene–glycol) (PDLA–PEG) were synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of l-lactide and d-lactide in the presence of monomethoxy PEG, respectively. Second, the stereocomplex block copolymer micelles were obtained by the self-assembly of the equimolar mixtures of enantiomeric PLA–PEG copolymers in water. These micelles possessed partially the crystallized hydrophobic cores with the critical micelle concentrations (cmc) in the range of 0.8–4.8 mg/l and the mean hydrodynamic diameters ranging from 40 to 120 nm. The micelle sizes and cmc values obviously depended on the hydrophobic block PLA content in the copolymer. Compared with the single PLLA–PEG or PDLA–PEG micelles, the cmc values of the stereocomplex micelles became lower and the sizes of the stereocomplex micelles formed smaller. And lastly, the stereocomplex micelles encapsulated with rifampin were tested for the controlled release application. The rifampin loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency by the stereocomplex micelles were higher than those by the single polymer micelles, respectively. The drug release time in vitro was depending on the composites of the block copolymers and also could be controlled by the polymer molecular weight and the morphology of the polymer micelles.     

Surface modification of magnetite nanoparticle with azobenzene-containing water dispersible polymer

We here report the synthesis of magnetite nanoparticle (MNP) grafted with poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA)-azobenzene acrylate (ABA) statistical copolymer via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) for drug entrapment and photocontrolled release. MNP was synthesized via thermal decomposition of iron (III) acetylacetonate in benzyl alcohol and surface functionalized to obtain ATRP initiating sites. Molar compositions of the copolymer on MNP surface were systematically varied (100:0, 90:10, 70:30, and 50:50 of PEGMA:ABA, respectively) to obtain water dispersible particles with various amounts of azobenzene. The presence of polymeric shell on MNP core was evidenced by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Drug loading and entrapment efficiencies as well as drug release behavior of the copolymer–MNP complexes were investigated. It was found that when percent of ABA in the copolymers was increased, entrapment and loading efficiencies of prednisolone model drug were enhanced. Releasing rate and percent of the released prednisolone of the complex exposed in UV light were slightly enhanced as compared to the system without UV irradiation. This copolymer–MNP complex with photocontrollable drug release and magnetic field-directed properties is warranted for further studies for potential uses as a novel drug delivery vehicle.     

A Comparative Study of Chemical Routes for Coating Gold Nanoparticles via Controlled RAFT Emulsion Polymerization

The synthesis of core‐shell Au nanoparticles protected by an amphiphilic block copolymer is investigated by distinct reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) emulsion polymerization routes. The controlled polymerization of polymer shells onto Au nanoparticles is attempted by using the macroRAFT (MR) agent based on 2‐(dodecylthiocarbonothioylthio)‐2‐methylpropionic acid synthesized via RAFT polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate and exploring several approaches, which include (i) post‐modification; (ii) in situ synthesis and (iii) “grafting from” strategies. In the conditions investigated here all these strategies lead to Au polymer nanocomposites but morphological well‐defined core‐shell nanoparticles are only obtained by applying the “grafting from” strategy. In particular, conditions that promote chain extension from the MR agent adsorbed onto the Au nanoparticles are found necessary to obtain nanostructures with such morphological characteristics and that still show the localized surface plasmon resonance typical of colloidal Au nanoparticles.     

Preparation of well-defined polymer-silicon wafer hybrids via surface-initiated RAFT-mediated process

A simple method was developed for the immobilization of reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) initiators on the silicon surface. Well-defined polymer-silicon hybrids, including the tethered brushes of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) polymer, poly(ethylene glycol) monomethacrylate (PEGMA) polymer and block copolymer on a silicon wafer, were prepared via surface-initiated RAFT living radical polymerization. The “living” chain ends were used as the macroinitiator for the subsequent synthesis of diblock copolymers.     

Self-assembly of rod-coil block copolymers from weakly to moderately segregated regimes

We report on the self-assembly behaviour of two homologue series of rod-coil block copolymers in which, the rod, a π -conjugated polymer, is maintained fixed in size and chemical structure, while the coil is allowed to vary both in molecular weight and chemical nature. This allows maintaining constant the liquid crystalline interactions, expressed by Maier-Saupe interactions, ω , while varying the tendency towards microphase separation, expressed by the product between the Flory-Huggins parameter and the total polymerization degree, χN . Therefore, the systems presented here allow testing directly some of the theoretical predictions for the self-assembly of rod-coil block copolymers in a weakly segregated regime. The two rod-coil block copolymer systems investigated were poly(DEH-p-phenylenevinylene-b-styrene), whose self-assembly takes place in the very weakly segregated regime, and poly(DEH-p-phenylenevinylene-b-4vinylpyridine), for which the self-assembly behaviour occurs under increased tendency towards microphase separation, hereby referred to as moderately segregated regime. Experimental results for both systems are compared with predictions based on Landau expansion theories.     

Influence of Grafting Density of Diblock Copolymers on Interfacial Assembly Behavior and Interfacial Shear Strength of Glass Fiber/Polystyrene Composites

To investigate the influence of the grafting density and the molecular structure of block copolymers on the interfacial assembly behavior and interfacial shear strength, macromolecular coupling agents, hydroxyl-terminated poly(n-butyl acrylate-b-styrene) (HO-P(BA-b-S)) were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization, and then chemically anchored on the glass fiber surfaces to form a well-defined monolayer. The phase separation and 'hemispherical' domain morphologies of diblock copolymer brushes at the polystyrene/glass fiber interface were observed. The interfacial assembly morphology differs with changes in the grafting density of diblock copolymers. When the grafting density is greatest, the highest height difference of the hemispherical domain and the largest surface roughness are achieved, as well as the best interface shear strength. It was also found that the copolymer brush with a PBA block of the polymerization degree (Xn) about 77 is the optimal option for the interfacial adhesion of PS/GF composites. Thus, the grafting density and molecular structure of diblock copolymers determines the interfacial assembly behavior of copolymer brushes, and therefore the interfacial shear strength.     

Block copolymer adsorption from a homopolymer melt to an amine-terminated surface

Using neutron reflectometry, the adsorption of diblock copolymers from a neutral polystyrene (PS) matrix is studied as a function of substrate type and non-adsorbing block degree of polymerization. The block copolymer is poly(deutero styrene)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) and the substrates are silicon oxide, SiO_x, and SiO_x functionalized with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES). We have determined the equilibrium volume fraction-depth profiles for such films, and compared them with volume fraction profiles generated by self-consistent mean-field (SCMF) theory and find good agreement between the experimental and theoretical data. SCMF calculations show that the segmental interaction energy between PS matrix chains and APTES is two orders of magnitude stronger than that between PS and SiO_x.     

Statistics of copolymer sequences obtained by polymeranalogous reactions of homopolymer globules

For the first time the macrokinetics of polymeranalogous reaction in a homopolymer globule is considered theoretically. Using mathematical apparatus of the theory of markovian stochastic processes we examined the statistical characteristics of the chemical structure of the emerging copolymers. It is shown that when the reaction is kinetically-controlled the sequence distribution of monomeric units in copolymer chains follows Bernoullian statistics. In the opposite regime, when the reaction is diffusion-controlled it is proved that the resulting primary structure is described by the Levy flight distribution. Such copolymers with nonmarkovian character of the alteration of units in macromolecules can not be synthesized in the bulk or in concentrated solutions by means of standard synthetic polymerization procedures. Received 14 June 2002 Published online: 16 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: khokhlov@polly.phys.msu.ru     

Self-Assembly Behavior of Amphiphilic Copolymer Characterized by Dissipative Particle Dynamics Simulation

Amphiphilic polyacrylamide copolymer aqueous solutions have a special behavior of self-assembly, which is attributed to their composition and molecular structure. In this work, methoxy polyethylene glycol acrylate (PEGA) and/or dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DF) were introduced into the partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HDPAM) molecular chains to enhance their hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity, respectively. The self-assembly behaviors of these copolymers in water solution and salt solution were studied by dissipative particle dynamics (DPD). Results showed that the amphiphilic copolymer (HDPAM-PEGA-DF) had a stronger self-assembly behavior than the hydrophobic modified polyacrylamide copolymer (HDPAM-DF).     

The influence of chain stretching on the phase behavior of multiblock copolymer and comb copolymer melts

The subject of this paper is inspired by microphase-separated copolymer melts in which a small-scale structure is present inside one of the phases of a large-scale structure. Such a situation can arise in a diblock copolymer melt, if one of the blocks of the diblock is in itself a multiblock copolymer or a comb copolymer. Due to the presence of the large-scale structure, the chains are stretched. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of this chain stretching on the formation of the small-scale structure. To gain insight we study infinite melts of infinitely long copolymer chains that are subjected to a stretching force. For melts of monodisperse multiblock copolymers we find that the stretching destabilizes the homogeneous phase. If the stretching is strong, the lamellar structure is the only stable structure. The periodicity increases with the degree of stretching. For melts of monodisperse comb copolymers the chain stretching has no influence on the stability of the homogeneous phase. If the stretching is strong, the lamellar structure and the hexagonal structure are the only stable structures. The periodicity is independent of the degree of stretching. For the multiblock copolymer we investigated the influence of block length polydispersity. For small polydispersity the period of the structure increases monotonically with the degree of stretching. For intermediate polydispersity, the period initially decreases before it starts to increase. For large polydispersity, the mean-field period at the spinodal is infinite, becoming finite once the stretching force exceeds some critical value. For very large polydispersity the mean-field period at the spinodal remains infinite for any value of the stretching force. Received: 14 February 2002 / Accepted: 24 March 2003 / Published online: 29 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: hindrik.angerman@abp.nl     

受限壁的选择性对软受限下星形三嵌段共聚物形貌的影响

基于嵌段共聚物在软受限条件下能够自组装形成很多有序结构,在催化、电子器件、光学传感等领域有广泛的应用价值,目前只对线性三嵌段共聚物在软受限下的自组装形貌做了分析,对星形三嵌段共聚物在软受限下的自组装行为还未有一个统一的定论.在这项研究中,应用模拟退火来研究ABC星形三嵌段共聚物在软受限下的自组装行为,嵌段与溶剂没有选择性下(中性壁),通过调整三个嵌段(f_A、f_B和f_C)的体积分数来构建相图,我们的模拟预测了各种独特的自组装纳米结构,包括薄片+球形、圆柱状,穿孔层,薄片+圆柱体,核壳补丁.然后通过改变嵌段与溶剂的选择性预测了链长度比为1:x:1的共聚物粒子形貌.通过计算接触数、均方根末端距与平均链长的比值以及平均键长随x的变化,验证了形貌转变机制.     

Halloysite nanotubes grafted hyperbranched (co)polymers via surface-initiated self-condensing vinyl (co)polymerization

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) grafted hyperbranched polymers were prepared by the self-condensing vinyl polymerization (SCVP) of 2-((bromoacetyl)oxy)ethyl acrylate (BAEA) and the self-condensing vinyl copolymerization of n-butyl acrylate (BA) and BAEA with BAEA as inimer (AB*) respectively, from the surfaces of the 2-bromoisobutyric acid modified halloysite nanotubes (HNTs-Br) via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique. The halloysite nanotubes grafted hyperbranched polymer (HNTs-HP) and the halloysite nanotubes grafted hyperbranched copolymer (HNTs-HCP) were characterized by elemental analysis (EA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The grafted hyperbranched polymers were characterized with Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and the molecular ratio between the inimer AB* and BA in the grafted hyperbranched copolymers was found to be 3:2, calculated from the TGA and EA results.     

Kinetic approach to modeling the radical polymerization of butyl acrylate in the presence dibenzyl trithiocarbonate

A mathematical model of the kinetics of the radical polymerization of butyl acrylate in the presence of dibenzyl trithiocarbonate by the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer mechanism with cross-termination of radicals and intermediates and quadratic termination of intermediates. The viability of the polymerization mechanism underlying the model and the related mathematical formalism are tested by comparing the calculated and measured values of the average molecular-weight characteristics of resulting poly(butyl acrylate).     

Morphologies of diblock copolymer thin films before and after crystallization

Spin-coated thin films of about 100nm of low-molecular-weight hydrogenated poly(butadiene-b- ethyleneoxide) (PB_h-PEO) diblock copolymers have been crystallized at various constant temperatures. Crystallization has been observed in real time by light microscopy. Detailed structural information was obtained by atomic force microscopy, mainly enabled by the large viscoelastic contrast between amorphous and crystalline regions. The behavior in thin films is compared to the bulk properties of the polymer. Crystallization started from an annealed microphase separated melt where optical microscopy indicated a lamellar orientation parallel to the substrate. A small difference in the length of the crystallizable block produced significantly different crystallization behavior, both in the bulk and in thin films. For thin films of the shortest diblock copolymer (45% PEO content) and for an undercooling larger than about 10 degrees, crystallization created vertically oriented lamellae. These vertical lamellae could be preferentially aligned over several micrometers when crystallization occurred close to a three-phase contact line. Annealing at temperatures closer to the melting point or keeping the sample at room temperature for several months allowed the formation of a lamellar structure parallel to the substrate. A tentative interpretation based on kinetically caused chain folding and relaxation within the crystalline state, with implications on general aspects of polymer crystallization, is presented. Received 19 March 1999 and Received in final form 14 December 1999     

Scaling theory of mixed amphiphilic monolayers

We predict the elastic properties of mixed amphiphilic monolayers in the swollen state within the blob model using scaling arguments. First the elastic moduli and the spontaneous curvature of a bimodal brush are determined as a function of the composition and the relative chain length. We obtain simple and useful scaling functions which interpolate between the elastic moduli of a pure short-chain brush and a pure long-chain brush. By using the analogy between block copolymer interfaces and polymeric brushes, the effect of mixing on self-assembled diblock copolymer monolayers is investigated in the swollen state. We calculate various interfacial properties, such as the equilibrium surface coverage, interface curvature, and the mixing free energy as a function of the composition. In general, we find a nonlinear dependence on the composition, which deviates from the simple linear averaging of the properties of pure components. Our results are used to discuss a recent experiment on the effect of amphiphilic block copolymers on the efficiency of microemulsions. Received 29 December 2000 and Received in final form 19 March 2001     

Thermophysical properties of fluorinated acrylate homopolymers: Mixing and phase separation

The thermophysical properties of fluorinated acrylate homopolymers are investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and optical microscopy and discussed in terms of relative lengths of the fluorinated chain and the hydrocarbon spacer between the acrylate moiety and the fluorinated chain. These compounds exhibit an intrinsic microphase-separation (Isotropic+Isotropic morphology) occurring between the fluorinated chains and the acrylate polymer backbone. It is shown that the enthalpy of mixing is a function of the length of the lateral fluorocarbon chains. The thermophysical behaviour of these materials may be regarded as demixed systems exhibiting an Upper Critical Solution Temperature. The photopolymerization process of one of the monomer is studied by isothermal photocalorimetry. High acrylate double-bond conversion and fast curing rates were obtained thus demonstrating the promising use of these materials for coating and film processing applications using UV-curing techniques. Received 30 January 2002     

An approach to hybrid inorganic nanoparticles in reactive PS-b-PMSMA amphiphilic copolymers

A series of well-defined amphiphilic poly(styrene)-block-poly 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (PS-b-PMSMA) copolymers with controlled molecular weight and block length were prepared by the atom transfer free radical polymerization. The cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles were fabricated in the spherical micelles self-assembled from these prepared PS-b-PMSMA copolymers. Then, the CdS/PS-b-PMSMA films were obtained by spin coating the CdS/PS-b-PMSMA solution on silicon wafer. The experimental results showed the addition of Cu(II) could decrease the value of polydispersity index for the prepared copolymers. Nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectra showed the synthesis of PS-b-PMSMA copolymer. The average roughness and mean square roughness of the prepared CdS/PS-b-PMSMA films obtained from the atomic force microscopy analysis were 3.0–3.4 nm and 1.7–2.0 nm, respectively, indicating the excellent surface planarity. On the other hand, the ratio of block length between PS and PMSMA had a great influence on the micelle size. The larger ratio of PS to PMSMA block length resulted in the larger size of micelles and CdS nanoparticles that caused a red-shift of ultraviolet–visible and photoluminescence spectra. The red-shift of spectra was explained by the quantum confinement effect associated with the tiny size of the CdS nanoparticles.