Web Release Date: January 15,
Diversity of Nanostructured Self-Assemblies from a pH-Responsive ABC Terpolymer in Aqueous Media
and
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26504, Patras, Greece, and Institute of Chemical Engineering and High Temperature Chemical Processes, FORTH/ ICE-HT, and Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699-5810
Received April 24, 2007
Revised Manuscript Received November 26, 2007
Abstract:
We report on the diverse self-assembly of the poly(2-vinyl pyridine)-b-poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (P2VP-PAA-PnBMA) ABC terpolymer in aqueous solutions. This has allowed us to fabricate a range of hierarchically organized nanostructured particles and hydrogels just by tuning both the pH and the concentration of polymer solutions. The multiresponsive molecule demonstrates a unique diversity of structural organizations caused by the combination of the P2VP and PAA building blocks. We found conditions for the formation of thermosensitive centrosymmetric core-shell-corona micelles, compact spheres, polyelectrolyte flowerlike micelles, a charged pH-sensitive 3D network, toroidal nanostructures, and finite size clusters (microgels). The transition between different micelles and the hydrogel was induced via the regulation of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions in the system.
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