Self-Assembly and pH-Responsiveness of ABC Miktoarm Star Terpolymers.
This work deals with the self-assembly in water of ABC miktoarm star terpolymers consisting of hydrophobic poly(-caprolactone), hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and pH-sensitive poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP). A variety of experimental techniques were used, including dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and zeta potential. Special attention was paid to the pH dependency of the supramolecular self-assemblies. A key observation is the capability of the miktoarm terpolymers to form micelles stable over the whole range of pH, although a transition was observed from neutral to highly positively charged nanoobjects upon decreasing pH.
Van Butsele
K
K
Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules, UniVersité de Liège, B6 Sart-Tilman,B-4000 Liege, Belgium.
Fustin
C A
CA
Gohy
J F
JF
Jérôme
R
R
Jérôme
C
C