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Self‐assembly and degradation of poly[(2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine)‐ block ‐( D , L ‐lactide)] diblock copolymers: large compound micelles to vesicles
Author(s) -
Liu Gongyan,
Hu Xiaofen,
Chen Chaojian,
Jin Qiao,
Ji Jian
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
polymer international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1097-0126
pISSN - 0959-8103
DOI - 10.1002/pi.2981
Subject(s) - copolymer , micelle , dynamic light scattering , phosphorylcholine , materials science , polymer chemistry , vesicle , transmission electron microscopy , hydrolysis , scanning electron microscope , chemical engineering , lactide , methacrylate , nanoparticle , chemistry , polymer , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , aqueous solution , composite material , membrane , biochemistry , engineering
Biodegradable poly[(2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine)‐ block ‐( D , L ‐lactide)] (PMPC‐ b ‐PLA) diblock copolymers with various hydrophilic PMPC weight fractions ( f PC ) will spontaneously self‐assemble into well‐defined vesicles and large compound micelles (LCMs) in water. Transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and fluorescence microscopy were used to observe their aggregate morphologies. The degradation of the LCMs was investigated and the loss of molecular weight of PLA blocks was confirmed using 1 H NMR analysis. The hydrolysis of PLA increases f PC and consequently shifts the preferred morphology from LCMs to vesicles. Such degradation‐induced morphological transitions mean that the biocompatible and biodegradable LCMs have great application potential in drug delivery. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry