Spontaneous Formation and Fusion of Raspberry Vesicle Self-Assembled from Star Block Terpolymers in Aqueous Solution

The spontaneous formation and fusion of raspberry vesicles was studied using the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) method. The vesicles were formed through the self-assembly of amphiphilic E12O6F2 star terpolymers in selective solvent. E and F blocks are solvophobic and the O block is solvophilic. The shortest F block plays a major role in the formation of raspberry vesicles. Distinct vesicle formation mechanisms were observed at different polymer concentrations. At higher concentrations, vesicles form via the bending and closure of an oblate F-bump-E bilayer. At lower concentrations, the formation pathway contains: the initial formation of a vesicle with a core, the combination of such vesicles into cylindrical micelles, and the bending of the cylindrical micelles to form a hollow vesicle. In addition, raspberry vesicle fusion is regulated by F bumps through the continuous coalescence of them from apposed vesicle membranes. The contact area bends, followed by the formation of a fusion pore and a tilted inner layer. As the pore sealed, the hemifusion structure appears, which further restructures to form a vesicle. Our results provide guidance on understanding the dynamic processes of complex vesicles and biological membrane fusion.

Controlling properties of thermogels by tuning critical solution behaviour of ternary copolymers

Thermogelling tri-block terpolymers were made from a bifunctional PEG RAFT agent. The critical solution behavior was tunable by alteration of the terpolymer composition, enabling modulation of gelation temperatures and hydrogel viscoelasticity.

Amphiphilic random and random block terpolymers with PEG, octadecyl, and oleyl pendants for controlled crystallization and microphase separation

Amphiphilic random and random block terpolymers bearing PEG chains, crystalline octadecyl groups, and amorphous oleyl groups were designed to control crystallization and microphase separation in the solid state.

Synthesis, aqueous solution behavior and self-assembly of a dual pH/thermo-responsive fluorinated diblock terpolymer

The synthesis of fluorinated dual-responsive block terpolymers via sequential reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization is presented.

Cholesteric mesophase based 1D photonic materials from self-assembly of liquid crystalline block and random terpolymers containing chromonic molecules

We describe the influence of competing self-organizing phenomena on the formation of cholesteric mesophase in liquid crystalline brush block terpolymers (LCBBTs) and liquid crystalline random brush terpolymers (LCRBTs) containing chromonic molecules.

Zinc Amido-Oxazolinate Catalyzed Ring Opening Copolymerization and Terpolymerization of Maleic Anhydride and Epoxides

Ring opening copolymerization (ROCOP) of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides has become an attractive approach for the synthesis of biodegradable polyesters with various compositions. Encouraged by the efficiency and versatility of a series of amido-oxazolinate zinc complexes, in this study they were shown to be active catalysts for the synthesis of unsaturated polyesters via ROCOP of maleic anhydride and various epoxides. The relative activity of epoxides in these reactions was observed to be styrene oxide > cyclohexene oxide > phenyl glycidyl ether, which could be correlated with the electronic and steric features of the substrate. To provide more structural possibilities for the polyesters, the difference in epoxide reactivity was exploited in an attempt to prepare block terpolymers from one anhydride and two epoxides. Terpolymerization was carried out in one or two steps in a single pot. The thermal characterization by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques suggested that the resulting materials were mostly random terpolymers.