title: Self-organization behavior of methacrylate-based amphiphilic di- and triblock copolymers.
abstract: Amphiphilic di- and triblock copolymers having different hydrophilic-to-hydrophobic block length ratio were synthesized using ATRP. The self-assembly behavior of these AB and ABA block copolymers consisting of poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (B) and poly(2,2-(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (A) was investigated using a combination of dynamic light scattering, negative-stain transmission electron microscopy, cryoelectron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Two populations of self-organized structures in aqueous solution, micelles and compound micelles, were detected for diblock copolymers. Triblock copolymers assembled into vesicular structures of uniform sizes. Furthermore it was found that these vesicles tended to compensate the high curvature by additional organization of the polymer chains outside of the membrane. The chain hydrophilicity of the polymers appeared to have a critical impact on the self-assembly response toward temperature change. The self-reorganization of the polymers at different temperatures is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 80, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ekaterina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rakhmatullina
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chami
authors.forename: Violeta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Malinova
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meier
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000737:chemistry*; D008823:Micelles; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010316:Particle Size; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D008689:Methacrylates; D008823:Micelles; D011108:Polymers; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water