title: Zwitterionic polymersomes in an ionic liquid: room temperature TEM characterization.
abstract: Conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was utilized to characterize vesicles formed by the spontaneous self-assembly of a novel zwitterionic block copolymer in the ionic liquid (2-hydroxyethyl)dimethylammonium methanesulfonate as well as in 0.1 M phosphate buffered saline (PBS). This block copolymer was synthesized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of a norbornene-based sulfobetaine, followed by its end-functionalization with polystyrene to generate the necessary amphiphilic structure. The ionic liquid enabled the visualization of the vesicles in their swollen state by TEM, demonstrating a new method for improved characterization of polymer vesicles.
authors: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Conte Research Center for Polymers, 120 Governors Drive, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States.
authors: Raghavendra R
authors: RR
authors: Maddikeri
authors: Semra
authors: S
authors: Colak
authors: Samuel P
authors: SP
authors: Gido
authors: Gregory N
authors: GN
authors: Tew
mesh_terms: D001622:Betaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008027:Light; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D052578:Ionic Liquids; D010710:Phosphates; D011108:Polymers; D011137:Polystyrenes; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D001622:Betaine; C483727:sulfobetaine