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Dual Stimuli‐Responsive Self‐Assembly Behavior of a Tailor‐Made ABC‐Type Amphiphilic Tri‐Block Copolymer
Author(s) -
Pal Sanjay,
Kather Michael,
Banerjee Sovan Lal,
Saha Pabitra,
Pich Andrij,
Singha Nikhil K.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2642-4169
pISSN - 2642-4150
DOI - 10.1002/pol.20190200
Subject(s) - copolymer , raft , micelle , amphiphile , dynamic light scattering , polymer chemistry , reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer polymerization , polymerization , self assembly , materials science , azobisisobutyronitrile , aqueous solution , chain transfer , acrylate , solvent , monomer , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , chemical engineering , chemistry , radical polymerization , polymer , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , nanoparticle , engineering
This investigation describes the synthesis of a dual stimuli‐responsive, amphiphilic ABC tri‐block copolymer (BCP) based on the functional monomers via RAFT polymerization. In this case, ABC‐type BCP was prepared based on N ‐isopropylacrylamide, n ‐butyl acrylate, and 4‐vinylpyridine in DMF solvent using cyanomethyl dodecyl trithiocarbonate as the RAFT agent and azobisisobutyronitrile as a thermal initiator in a subsequent macro‐RAFT approach, respectively. The BCPs were characterized by SEC, 1 H‐NMR, FTIR spectroscopy, and DSC analyses. Temperature and pH‐dependent properties of the smart BCP micelles in aqueous medium were investigated using dynamic light scattering. Transmission electron microscopic images were taken at cryogenic and dry conditions to study the morphology of molecular assemblies of block copolymers in an aqueous medium. The phase and topographical images were captured by atomic force microscopy to understand the assembly of block copolymers in solvents of different polarities. The morphology of BCP micelles was transformed from flower‐like to spherical in the presence of solvents with different polarities (H 2 O or CHCl 3 ).