title: Controlling internal pore sizes in bicontinuous polymeric nanospheres.
abstract: Complex polymeric nanospheres were formed in water from comb-like amphiphilic block copolymers. Their internal morphology was determined by three-dimensional cryo-electron tomographic analysis. Varying the polymer molecular weight (MW) and the hydrophilic block weight content allowed for fine control over the internal structure. Construction of a partial phase diagram allowed us to determine the criteria for the formation of bicontinuous polymer nanosphere (BPN), namely for copolymers with MW of up to 17 kDa and hydrophilic weight fractions of ≤0.25; and varying the organic solvent to water ratio used in their preparation allowed for control over nanosphere diameters from 70 to 460 nm. Significantly, altering the block copolymer hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance enabled control of the internal pore diameter of the BPNs from 10 to 19 nm.
authors: Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry and Soft Matter Cryo-TEM Research Unit, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven (The Netherlands); Functional Materials Group, School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NH (UK).
authors: Beulah E
authors: BE
authors: McKenzie
authors: Heiner
authors: H
authors: Friedrich
authors: Maarten J M
authors: MJ
authors: Wirix
authors: Joël F
authors: JF
authors: de Visser
authors: Olivia R
authors: OR
authors: Monaghan
authors: Paul H H
authors: PH
authors: Bomans
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Nudelman
authors: Simon J
authors: SJ
authors: Holder
authors: Nico A J M
authors: NA
authors: Sommerdijk
keywords: bicontinuous nanospheres; block copolymers; cryo-electron tomography; morphology; self-assembly
references: Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2009;48(33):6144-7
references: 19585630
references: Nat Commun. 2014;5:3247
references: 24557327
references: Nano Lett. 2008 Jul;8(7):2023-6
references: 18547123
references: Biol Pharm Bull. 2007 Feb;30(2):350-3
references: 17268078
references: J Am Chem Soc. 2005 Jun 22;127(24):8757-64
references: 15954782
references: Nat Mater. 2004 Sep;3(9):638-44
references: 15300242
references: J Phys Chem B. 2009 Apr 2;113(13):4218-25
references: 19320521
references: Science. 2013 Apr 19;340(6130):337-41
references: 23599490
references: Science. 1998 May 29;280(5368):1427-30
references: 9603730
references: J Am Chem Soc. 2012 Aug 22;134(33):13850-60
references: 22834562
references: J Am Chem Soc. 2002 Nov 13;124(45):13388-9
references: 12418883
references: J Am Chem Soc. 2010 Aug 4;132(30):10256-9
references: 20662505
references: J Struct Biol. 1996 Jan-Feb;116(1):71-6
references: 8742726
references: Nat Commun. 2014 Jun 17;5:4110
references: 24934665
references: Science. 2004 Oct 1;306(5693):94-7
references: 15459386
references: Science. 2010 May 21;328(5981):1009-14
references: 20489021