Open AccessMulticompartment Micelles by Aqueous Self-Assembly of μ-A(BC)n Miktobrush Terpolymers
Author(s) -
Adam O. Moughton,
Takanori Sagawa,
Ligeng Yin,
Timothy P. Lodge,
Marc A. Hillmyer
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
acs omega
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.779
H-Index - 40
ISSN - 2470-1343
DOI - 10.1021/acsomega.6b00284
Subject(s) - solvophobic , micelle , ethylene oxide , copolymer , aqueous solution , polymersome , self assembly , materials science , molar mass , polymer chemistry , block (permutation group theory) , solvent , volume fraction , oxide , vesicle , chemical engineering , chemistry , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , membrane , amphiphile , composite material , polymer , geometry , mathematics , biochemistry , engineering , metallurgy
The aqueous self-assembly of μ-A(BC) n mikto brush terpolymers has been studied using dynamic light scattering and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. In this system, the A block is hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide), "O", the B block is hydrophobic poly(methylcaprolactone), "C", and the C block is hydrophobic and oleophobic poly(perfluoropropylene oxide), "F". Two terpolymers were examined: one with an average of about two C blocks and two F blocks and another with an average of about three C blocks and two F blocks. In both cases, the total molar mass is near 40 kg mol -1 , and the volume fraction of the single O block is greater than 50% of the whole. Both samples form multicompartment micelle structures with subdivided solvophobic cores of C and F domains. The morphologies observed are generally analogous to those previously observed for the self-assembly of μ-ABC mikto arm star terpolymers, namely, "raspberry" and "hamburger" micelles; however, an intriguing multicompartment polymersome morphology with compartmentalized solvophobic bilayers is also observed. These results are interpreted in terms of the relative strengths of the competing interactions among the three blocks and the solvent and in terms of the constraints imposed by the mikto brush architecture.