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Self‐assembled nanostructures: preparation, characterization, thermal, optical and morphological characteristics of amphiphilic diblock copolymers based on poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐ block‐N ‐phenylmaleimide)
Author(s) -
Pizarro Guadalupe del C,
Marambio Oscar G,
JeriaOrell Manuel,
Valdés Daniela T,
Geckeler Kurt E
Publication year - 2013
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.4456
Subject(s) - copolymer , materials science , atom transfer radical polymerization , micelle , amphiphile , methacrylate , polymer chemistry , lamellar structure , dynamic light scattering , small angle x ray scattering , polymerization , chemical engineering , self assembly , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , polymer , nanoparticle , organic chemistry , scattering , nanotechnology , chemistry , composite material , physics , engineering , aqueous solution , optics
A series of well‐defined amphiphilic poly[(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)‐ block ‐( N ‐phenylmaleimide)] diblock copolymers containing hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks of different lengths were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. The properties of the diblock copolymers and their ability to form large compound spherical micelles are described. Their optical, morphological and thermal properties and self‐assembled structure were also investigated. The chemical structure and composition of these copolymers have been characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, 1 H NMR , UV –visible and fluorescence spectroscopy, and size exclusion chromatography. Furthermore, the self‐assembly behavior of these copolymers was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering, which indicated that the amphiphilic diblock copolymer can self‐assemble into micelles, depending on the length of both blocks in the copolymers. These diblock copolymers gave rise to a variety of microstructures, from spherical micelles, hexagonal cylinders to lamellar phases. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry