title: Hierarchical self-assembly of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane end-capped stimuli-responsive polymer: from single micelle to complex micelle.
abstract: Responsive polymeric micelles have been widely studied because of their potential use in nanocontainers and nanocarriers. In this study, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) end-capped poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (POSS-PDMAEMA), a stimuli-responsive organic-inorganic hybrid polymer, was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using POSS-Br as a macroinitiator. The self-assembly behaviors of POSS-PDMAEMA in aqueous solution were studied by fluorescence probe, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results revealed two self-assembly processes of POSS-PDMAEMA. First they self-assembled into a single micelle with the POSS molecules forming a crystal core and the PDMAEMA chains stretching as a corona. Then the single micelles, as building blocks, were able to reversibly form a hierarchical micelle-on-micelle structure (complex micelle) under external stimuli.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Haiping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Jiangxuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jinze
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guangxin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qifang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li