Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers Containing Temperature Sensitive and Degradable Chain Segments

A self-assembled unilamellar vesicle, which can be used as a drug delivery system, was easily and simply fabricated using a blended system of Pluronic block copolymers. Controlling the hydrophilic mass fraction of block copolymers (by blending the block copolymer with a different hydrophilic mass fraction) and temperature (i.e., the hydrophobic interaction is controlled), a vesicular structure was formed. Small angle neutron scattering measurements showed that the vesicular structure had diameters of empty cores from 13.6 nm to 79.6 nm, and thicknesses of the bilayers from 2.2 nm to 8.7 nm when the hydrophobic interaction was changed. Therefore, considering that the temperature of the vesicle formation is controllable by the concentration of the blended block copolymers, it is possible for them to be applied in a wide range of potential applications, for example, as nanoreactors and nanovehicles.

Download Full-text

Self-Assembly of Hydrogels From Elastin-Mimetic Block Copolymers

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-724-n8.1 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 724 ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth R. Wright ◽

R. Andrew McMillan ◽

Alan Cooper ◽

Robert P. Apkarian ◽

Vincent P. Conticello

Keyword(s):

Block Copolymers ◽

Self Assembly ◽

Triblock Copolymers ◽

Variable Temperature ◽

Inverse Temperature ◽

Temperature Transition ◽

Scanning Calorimetry ◽

Design Synthesis ◽

Inverse Temperature Transition ◽

Functional Biomaterials

AbstractTriblock copolymers have traditionally been synthesized with conventional organic components. However, triblock copolymers could be synthesized by the incorporation of two incompatible protein-based polymers. The polypeptides would differ in their hydrophobicity and confer unique physiochemical properties to the resultant materials. One protein-based polymer, based on a sequence of native elastin, that has been utilized in the synthesis of biomaterials is poly (Valine-Proline-Glycine-ValineGlycine) or poly(VPGVG) [1]. This polypeptide has been shown to have an inverse temperature transition that can be adjusted by non-conservative amino acid substitutions in the fourth position [2]. By combining polypeptide blocks with different inverse temperature transition values due to hydrophobicity differences, we expect to produce amphiphilic polypeptides capable of self-assembly into hydrogels. Our research examines the design, synthesis and characterization of elastin-mimetic block copolymers as functional biomaterials. The methods that are used for the characterization include variable temperature 1D and 2D High-Resolution-NMR, cryo-High Resolutions Scanning Electron Microscopy and Differential Scanning Calorimetry.

Download Full-text

Self-Assembly of Rod-Coil Block Copolymers.

10.21236/ada366979 ◽

1999 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S. A. Jenekhe ◽

X. L. Chen

Keyword(s):

Block Copolymers ◽

Self Assembly

Download Full-text

Square patterns formed from the directed self-assembly of block copolymers

Molecular Systems Design & Engineering ◽

10.1039/d0me00168f ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Weihua Li ◽

Xueying Gu

Keyword(s):

Block Copolymers ◽

Self Assembly ◽

Bottom Up ◽

Tremendous Progress

Since tremendous progress has been made, directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers has been regarded as one of the most promising bottom-up lithography techniques. In particular, DSA has been successfully...

Download Full-text

Effects of Trace Water on Self-Assembly of Sulfonated Block Copolymers During Solution Processing

ACS Applied Polymer Materials ◽

10.1021/acsapm.0c00806 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (11) ◽

pp. 4893-4901

Author(s):

Karthika Madathil ◽

Kayla A. Lantz ◽

Morgan Stefik ◽

Gila E. Stein

Keyword(s):

Block Copolymers ◽

Self Assembly ◽

Solution Processing ◽

Trace Water

Download Full-text

Self-Assembly of Single Chain Janus Nanoparticles from Azobenzene-Containing Block Copolymers and Reversible Photoinduced Morphology Transition

Polymer Chemistry ◽

10.1039/d1py00223f ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wei Wen ◽

Aihua Chen

Keyword(s):

Block Copolymers ◽

Experimental Research ◽

Self Assembly ◽

The Self ◽

Single Chain ◽

Morphology Transition ◽

Janus Nanoparticles ◽

Assembly Behavior

Self-assembly of amphiphilic single chain Janus nanoparticles (SCJNPs) is a novel and promising approach to fabricate assemblies with diversified morphologies. However, the experimental research of the self-assembly behavior of SCJNPs...

Download Full-text

Coarse-grained simulation of the self-assembly of lipid vesicles concomitantly with novel block copolymers with multiple tails

Soft Matter ◽

10.1039/d0sm01898h ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander Kantardjiev

Keyword(s):

Molecular Dynamics ◽

Block Copolymers ◽

Self Assembly ◽

Lipid Vesicles ◽

The Self ◽

Coarse Grained ◽

Copolymer Concentration ◽

Copolymer Structure ◽

Coarse Grained Molecular Dynamics

We carried out a series of coarse-grained molecular dynamics liposome-copolymer simulations with varying extent of copolymer concentration in an attempt to understand the effect of copolymer structure and concentration on vesicle self-assembly and stability.

Download Full-text

Precise Synthesis and Thin Film Self-Assembly of PLLA-b-PS Bottlebrush Block Copolymers

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26051412 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (5) ◽

pp. 1412

Author(s):

Eunkyung Ji ◽

Cian Cummins ◽

Guillaume Fleury

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Block Copolymers ◽

Self Assembly ◽

Ring Opening ◽

Periodic Structures ◽

One Pot ◽

Ordered Structures ◽

Carbonyl Chloride ◽

Thin Film Patterning ◽

Nanoporous Templates

The ability of bottlebrush block copolymers (BBCPs) to self-assemble into ordered large periodic structures could greatly expand the scope of photonic and membrane technologies. In this paper, we describe a two-step synthesis of poly(l-lactide)-b-polystyrene (PLLA-b-PS) BBCPs and their rapid thin-film self-assembly. PLLA chains were grown from exo-5-norbornene-2-methanol via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of l-lactide to produce norbornene-terminated PLLA. Norbonene-terminated PS was prepared using anionic polymerization followed by a termination reaction with exo-5-norbornene-2-carbonyl chloride. PLLA-b-PS BBCPs were prepared from these two norbornenyl macromonomers by a one-pot sequential ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). PLLA-b-PS BBCPs thin-films exhibited cylindrical and lamellar morphologies depending on the relative block volume fractions, with domain sizes of 46–58 nm and periodicities of 70–102 nm. Additionally, nanoporous templates were produced by the selective etching of PLLA blocks from ordered structures. The findings described in this work provide further insight into the controlled synthesis of BBCPs leading to various possible morphologies for applications requiring large periodicities. Moreover, the rapid thin film patterning strategy demonstrated (>5 min) highlights the advantages of using PLLA-b-PS BBCP materials beyond their linear BCP analogues in terms of both dimensions achievable and reduced processing time.

Download Full-text