Issue 37, 2018

Nanogel-like UCST triblock copolymer micelles showing large volume expansion before abrupt dissolution

Abstract

This paper reports the synthesis and study of a novel ABA-type triblock copolymer, of which the terminal A-blocks comprise hydrophilic poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide-co-7-acryloyl-4-methylcoumarin) (PDMA) and the central B-block comprises UCST thermosensitive poly(acrylamide-co-acrylonitrile) (PAAm-co-AN). Although the formation of micelles of this triblock copolymer at temperatures below the UCST of the PAAm-co-AN block is not surprising, the micelles, surprisingly, behave like crosslinked thermosensitive nanogels over a wide temperature range and exhibit a large expansion and contraction in volume on heating and cooling, respectively, as long as the solution temperature remains below a critical point at which abrupt and complete dissolution of the micelles occurs, which results in dissolved polymer chains in the unimer form. A comprehensive study of this peculiar behavior by means of dynamic light scattering, small-angle X-ray scattering, fluorescence spectroscopy, solution transmittance, viscosity and solvent substitution showed that the thermosensitive increase in micelle volume prior to dissolution is mainly due to swelling owing to the entry of water as a result of an increase in hydration inside the particles.

Graphical abstract: Nanogel-like UCST triblock copolymer micelles showing large volume expansion before abrupt dissolution

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
27 Jun 2018
Accepted
12 Aug 2018
First published
13 Aug 2018

Polym. Chem., 2018,9, 4660-4673

Nanogel-like UCST triblock copolymer micelles showing large volume expansion before abrupt dissolution

A. Augé, D. Fortin, X. Tong and Y. Zhao, Polym. Chem., 2018, 9, 4660 DOI: 10.1039/C8PY00960K

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