Issue 7, 2022

Multi-tunable aggregation behaviors of thermo/pH-responsive toothbrush-like and jellyfish-like copolymers

Abstract

The combination of cyclic and linear segments provides a promising opportunity for the construction of polymeric materials with intriguing physical properties. This study aims at the design of comb-like-linear diblock copolymers to achieve thermoresponsive and aggregation properties relying on topology, composition and stimuli. Toothbrush-like and jellyfish-like copolymers with poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) grafts tethered to a linear or cyclic polyacrylate-block-poly(N-isopopylacrylamide) backbone are synthesized, and the analogues with relatively short pendant chains can exhibit a pronounced topology effect. Variable nanostructures involving spheres, vesicles, lamellae and porous lamellae can be sequentially formed during thermo/pH-induced self-assembly. Owing to topological constraints and enhanced interactions between side chains and the backbone, the cyclic architecture can play a crucial role in self-assembly, as evidenced by the distinct order of morphological transitions and improved stability of lamellar nanostructures against acid and heat. Bicomponent comb-like-linear copolymers can hold great promise in the construction of topology-dependent hierarchical self-assembly platforms.

Graphical abstract: Multi-tunable aggregation behaviors of thermo/pH-responsive toothbrush-like and jellyfish-like copolymers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
16 12 2021
Accepted
11 1 2022
First published
21 1 2022

Polym. Chem., 2022,13, 877-890

Multi-tunable aggregation behaviors of thermo/pH-responsive toothbrush-like and jellyfish-like copolymers

S. Li, P. Liu, Z. Wang, L. Lian and Y. Zhao, Polym. Chem., 2022, 13, 877 DOI: 10.1039/D1PY01667A

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