Mechanical Properties of Poly(dimethylsiloxane)-block-poly(2-methyloxazoline) Polymersomes Probed by Atomic Force Microscopy |
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Authors: | Karmena Jaskiewicz Marcin Makowski Michael Kappl Katharina Landfester Anja Kroeger |
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Institution: | Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research , Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany. |
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Abstract: | Poly(dimethylsiloxane)-block-poly(2-methyloxazoline) (PDMS-b-PMOXA) vesicles were characterized by a combination of dynamic light scattering (DLS), cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), and atomic force microscopy imaging and force spectroscopy (AFM). From DLS data, a hydrodynamic radius of ~150 nm was determined, and cryo-TEM micrographs revealed a bilayer thickness of ~16 nm. In AFM experiments on a silicon wafer substrate, adsorption led to a stable spherical caplike conformation of the polymersomes, whereas on mica, adsorption resulted also in vesicle fusion and formation of bilayer patches or multilayer stacks. This indicates a delicate balance between the mechanical stability of PDMS-b-PMOXA polymersomes on one hand and the driving forces for spreading on the other. A Young's modulus of 17 ± 11 MPa and a bending modulus of 7 ± 5 × 10(-18) J were derived from AFM force spectroscopy measurements. Therefore, the elastic response of the PDMS-b-PMOXA polymersomes to external stimuli is much closer to that of lipid vesicles compared to other types of polymersomes, such as polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA). |
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