title: Association of poly(4-hydroxystyrene)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) in aqueous solutions: block copolymer nanoparticles with intermixed blocks.
abstract: Association behavior of diblock copolymer poly(4-hydroxystyrene)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PHOS-PEO) in aqueous solutions and solutions in water/tetrahydrofuran mixtures was studied by static, dynamic, and electrophoretic light scattering, (1)H NMR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and cryogenic field-emission scanning electron microscopy. It was found that, in alkaline aqueous solutions, PHOS-PEO can form compact spherical nanoparticles whose size depends on the preparation protocol. Instead of a core/shell structure with segregated blocks, the PHOS-PEO nanoparticles have intermixed PHOS and PEO blocks due to hydrogen bond interaction between -OH groups of PHOS and oxygen atoms of PEO and are stabilized electrostatically by a fraction of ionized PHOS units on the surface.
authors: Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Hlavova 2030, 12840 Prague 2, Czech Republic. stepanek@natur.cuni.cz
authors: Miroslav
authors: M
authors: Štěpánek
authors: Jana
authors: J
authors: Hajduová
authors: Karel
authors: K
authors: Procházka
authors: Miroslav
authors: M
authors: Šlouf
authors: Jana
authors: J
authors: Nebesářová
authors: Grigoris
authors: G
authors: Mountrichas
authors: Christos
authors: C
authors: Mantzaridis
authors: Stergios
authors: S
authors: Pispas
mesh_terms: D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D053758:Nanoparticles; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010636:Phenols; D011108:Polymers; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C030626:4-vinylphenol