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The Temperature‐Responsive Nanoassemblies of Amphiphilic Random Copolymers Carrying Poly(siloxane) and Poly(oxyethylene) Pendant Chains
Author(s) -
Martinelli Elisa,
Annunziata Luisa,
Guazzelli Elisa,
Pucci Andrea,
Biver Tarita,
Galli Giancarlo
Publication year - 2018
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.201800082
Subject(s) - copolymer , polymer chemistry , amphiphile , micelle , atom transfer radical polymerization , lower critical solution temperature , chemistry , siloxane , polymerization , polymer , aqueous solution , materials science , organic chemistry
Novel amphiphilic random copolymers carrying poly(oxyethylene) and poly(siloxane) pendant chains are synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization starting from either a fluorescent, julolidine‐based initiator, or a nonfluorescent initiator. For both copolymer systems, dynamic light scattering measurements carried out on aqueous solutions as a function of temperature reveal the occurrence of a sharp and fully reversible transition between two different self‐associative states of individual, single‐chain self‐folded nanoassemblies, so‐called unimer micelles, ( D h = 8–10 nm) and collapsed multichain aggregates ( D h = 700–1400 nm) at a critical temperature T c . Covalently linked julolidine terminal and added ethidium bromide are separately used as fluorescent probes and both prove the temperature‐dependence of the different self‐association of the copolymers in water.