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Synthesis and Aggregation Behaviors of Well‐Defined Thermoresponsive Pentablock Terpolymers With Tunable LCST
Author(s) -
Wu Yufeng,
Liu Xingli,
Wang Yu,
Guo Zanru,
Feng Yujun
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/macp.201200106
Subject(s) - lower critical solution temperature , micelle , ethylene oxide , copolymer , polymer chemistry , raft , polymerization , chemical engineering , poly(n isopropylacrylamide) , thermoresponsive polymers in chromatography , chain transfer , chemistry , aggregation number , materials science , polymer , critical micelle concentration , radical polymerization , organic chemistry , aqueous solution , high performance liquid chromatography , reversed phase chromatography , engineering
A series of thermoresponsive pentablock terpolymers, poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide)‐ b ‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐ b ‐poly(propylene oxide)‐ b ‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐ b ‐poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide), is prepared by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The effect of NIPAM and PPO block lengths on lower critical solution temperature (LCST), critical micelle concentration (cmc), and aggregation number ( N agg ) is investigated via UV–Vis spectroscopy and steady‐state fluorescence spectroscopy. The results show that upon increasing the block lengths, LCST and cmc decrease, while N agg increases. TEM observation shows that associated spherical‐like particles are evidenced below the LCST of the terpolymers, and regular or irregular spherical micelles or even intermicellar aggregates are observed above the LCST.