Premium
Linking two worlds in polymer chemistry: The influence of block uniformity and dispersity in amphiphilic block copolypeptoids on their self‐assembly
Author(s) -
Gangloff Niklas,
Höferth Marcel,
Stepanenko Vladimir,
Sochor Benedikt,
Schummer Bernhard,
Nickel Joachim,
Walles Heike,
Hanke Randolf,
Würthner Frank,
Zuckermann Ronald N.,
Luxenhofer Robert
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
biopolymers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.556
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1097-0282
pISSN - 0006-3525
DOI - 10.1002/bip.23259
Subject(s) - dispersity , amphiphile , macromolecule , copolymer , polymer , chemistry , polymerization , polymer chemistry , differential scanning calorimetry , small angle x ray scattering , self assembly , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , scattering , biochemistry , physics , optics , thermodynamics , engineering
The self‐assembly of block copolymers has captured the interest of scientists for many decades because it can induce ordered structures and help to imitate complex structures found in nature. In contrast to proteins, nature's most functional hierarchical structures, conventional polymers are disperse in their length distribution. Here, we synthesized hydrophilic and hydrophobic polypeptoids via solid‐phase synthesis (uniform) and ring‐opening polymerization (disperse). Differential scanning calorimetry measurements showed that the uniform hydrophobic peptoids converge to a maximum of the melting temperature at a much lower chain length than their disperse analogs, showing that not only the chain length but also the dispersity has a considerable impact on the thermal properties of those homopolymers. These homopolymers were then coupled to yield amphiphilic block copolypeptoids. SAXS and AFM measurements confirm that the dispersity plays a major role in microphase separation of these macromolecules, and it appears that uniform hydrophobic blocks form more ordered structures.