Issue 20, 2017

Self-assembling characteristics of amphiphilic zwitterionic brush random copolymers at the air–water interface

Abstract

Self-assembling characteristics of a series of amphiphilic zwitterionic brush random copolymers, poly(oxy(11-(3-sulfonylpropyltrimethylglycinyl)undecylesterthiomethyl)ethylene-co-oxy(n-do-decylthiomethyl)ethylene)s (PECH-DMAPSm where m is the mol% of DMAPS end group), were investigated at an air–water interface by using surface pressure–area isotherms, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray reflectivity analysis. Interestingly the random polymers (m: 20–60 mol%) always formed Langmuir monolayer structures only rather than any other structures, regardless of the surface pressures. The Langmuir monolayers possessed enhanced lateral ordering together with conformational changes of the backbone and bristles through increasing the surface pressure. The monolayer structures were basically composed of a hydrophobic bristle phase in the air side and a hydrophilic backbone and bristle phase in the water side. The unique, highly ordered Langmuir monolayer structures could be realized by positive, cooperative efforts of several factors such as the compositional balance of hydrophobic and hydrophilic zwitterionic bristles, the air- and water-induced segregations of the bristles and backbone, the lateral ordering capabilities of the alkyl groups and the alkylenyl linkers in the bristles under the assistance of surface pressure, and the relatively strong anchoring power of DMAPS end groups in the water side using their high water affinity due to the hydrophilic zwitterionic nature. Overall, PECH-DMAPSm revealed a very unique self-assembling behavior at the air–water interface, always producing the Langmuir monolayer structure.

Graphical abstract: Self-assembling characteristics of amphiphilic zwitterionic brush random copolymers at the air–water interface

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Dec 2016
Accepted
12 Feb 2017
First published
16 Feb 2017
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2017,7, 11813-11820

Self-assembling characteristics of amphiphilic zwitterionic brush random copolymers at the air–water interface

J. Kim, J. C. Kim, M. D. Phan, H. Kim, K. Shin and M. Ree, RSC Adv., 2017, 7, 11813 DOI: 10.1039/C6RA28828F

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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