title: Shape and Mechanical Control of Poly(ethylene oxide) Based Polymersome with Polyoxometalates via Hydrogen Bond.
abstract: Polymersomes are self-assembled vesicles of amphiphilic block copolymers and have been explored for wide applications from drug delivery to micro/nanoreactors. As polymersomes are soft and highly deformable, their shape instability due to osmolarity difference across polymer membranes and low elasticity could conversely limit their practical use. Instead of selecting particular polymer chemical reactions to enhance the mechanical properties, we have employed inorganic polyoxometalate (POM) clusters as simple physical cross-linkers to control the shape and mechanical stability of polymersomes in aqueous suspensions. Robust spherical shape with enhanced elastic and bending moduli of POM-dressed poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) based polymersomes is achieved. We have accounted for the hydrogen bonding between POM and PEO blocks for the adsorption and stabilization of POMS on polymersomes, whose interaction strength could also be tuned by mixing solvents of hydrogen bond donors or receptors with water. The stimuli-responsive properties of POMs are introduced in POM-dressed polymersomes upon the interaction of POMs with PEO blocks in aqueous media. As POM can be used as nanomedicines, catalysts, and other functional nanomaterials, POM-dressed polymersomes with significant shape and mechanical reinforcement could broaden the applications of PEO-based polymersomes and other PEO-tethered nanocolloids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Wayne State University , Detroit, Michigan 48202, United States.
authors.forename: Benxin
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8400-1937
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States.
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States.
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2943-5465
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States.
authors.forename: Haifeng
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9029-5022
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Wayne State University , Detroit, Michigan 48202, United States.
authors.forename: Yingxi
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7968-1640
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu