Open AccessPerfluorocyclobutyl Aryl Ether-Based ABC Amphiphilic Triblock Copolymer
Author(s) -
Binbin Xu,
Wenqiang Yao,
Yongjun Li,
Sen Zhang,
Xiaoyu Huang
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
scientific reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.24
H-Index - 213
ISSN - 2045-2322
DOI - 10.1038/srep39504
Subject(s) - copolymer , atom transfer radical polymerization , micelle , polymer chemistry , amphiphile , ethylene glycol , methacrylate , polymerization , chemistry , aqueous solution , materials science , organic chemistry , polymer
A series of fluorine-containing amphiphilic ABC triblock copolymers comprising hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), and hydrophobic poly( p -(2-(4-biphenyl)perfluorocyclobutoxy)phenyl methacrylate) (PBPFCBPMA) segments were synthesized by successive atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). First, PEG-Br macroinitiators bearing one terminal ATRP initiating group were prepared by chain-end modification of monohydroxy-terminated PEG via esterification reaction. PEG- b -PBPFCBPMA-Br diblock copolymers were then synthesized via ATRP of BPFCBPMA monomer initiated by PEG-Br macroinitiator. ATRP polymerization of tert -butyl methacrylate ( t BMA) was directly initiated by PEG- b -PBPFCBPMA-Br to provide PEG- b -PBPFCBPMA- b -P t BMA triblock copolymers with relatively narrow molecular weight distributions ( M w / M n ≤ 1.43). The pendant tert -butyoxycarbonyls were hydrolyzed to carboxyls in acidic environment without affecting other functional groups for affording PEG- b -PBPFCBPMA- b -PMAA amphiphilic triblock copolymers. The critical micelle concentrations ( cmc ) were determined by fluorescence spectroscopy using N -phenyl-1-naphthylamine as probe and the self-assembly behavior in aqueous media were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Large compound micelles and bowl-shaped micelles were formed in neutral aqueous solution. Interestingly, large compound micelles formed by triblock copolymers can separately or simultaneously encapsulate hydrophilic Rhodamine 6G and hydrophobic pyrene agents.