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Cylindrical Micelles from the Self‐Assembly of Polyacrylonitrile‐Based Diblock Copolymers in Nonpolar Selective Solvents
Author(s) -
Lazzari Massimo,
Scalarone Dominique,
VazquezVazquez Carlos,
LópezQuintela M. Arturo
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.200700818
Subject(s) - polyacrylonitrile , copolymer , micelle , materials science , polymer chemistry , differential scanning calorimetry , polystyrene , crystallinity , dynamic light scattering , methyl methacrylate , crystallization , chemical engineering , transmission electron microscopy , polymer , composite material , chemistry , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , aqueous solution , nanoparticle , physics , engineering , thermodynamics
A series of polyacrylonitrile‐ block ‐polystyrene (PAN‐ b ‐PS) and polyacrylonitrile‐ block ‐poly(methyl methacrylate) (PAN‐ b ‐PMMA) diblock copolymers with PAN volume fraction up to 20% self‐assembles in nonpolar selective solvents to form cylindrical micelles with a PAN core, having contour length varying between less than 1 µm and tens of micrometers. Micelle characterization by differential light scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry enabled to point out the role played by crystallinity during micellization, thence suggesting that the core crystallization force overcomes other factors governing self‐assembling processes.