Self-assembly behavior of well-defined polymethylene-block-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymers in aqueous solution
Type
ArticleKAUST Department
Chemical Science ProgramKAUST Catalysis Center (KCC)
Physical Science and Engineering (PSE) Division
Polymer Synthesis Laboratory
Date
2016-09-22Online Publication Date
2016-09-22Print Publication Date
2016-12Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/622332
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
A series of well-defined amphiphilic polymethylene-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PM-b-PEG) diblock copolymers, with different hydrophobic chain length, were synthesized by combining Diels-Alder reaction with polyhomologation. The successful synthetic procedure was confirmed by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and 1H NMR spectroscopy. These block copolymers self-assembled into spherical micelles in aqueous solutions and exhibit low critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 2–4 mg/mL, as determined by fluorescence spectroscopy using pyrene as a probe. Measurements of the micelle hydrodynamic diameters, performed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), revealed a direct dependence of the micelle size from the polymethylene block length.Citation
Alkayal N, Zapsas G, Bilalis P, Hadjichristidis N (2016) Self-assembly behavior of well-defined polymethylene-block-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymers in aqueous solution. Polymer 107: 415–421. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2016.09.074.Sponsors
Research reported in this publication supported by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. The assistance of Dr Rachid Sougrat, KAUST Advanced Nanofabrication Imaging and Characterization Core Laboratory, in cryo-TEM experiments is gratefully acknowledged.Publisher
Elsevier BVJournal
PolymerAdditional Links
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032386116308734ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.polymer.2016.09.074