Issue 41, 2022

High-χ, low-N micelles from partially perfluorinated block polymers

Abstract

Kinetically trapped (“persistent”) micelles enable emerging applications requiring a constant core diameter. Preserving a χN barrier to chain exchange with low-N requires a commensurately higher χcore–solvent for micelle persistence. Low-N, high-χ micelles containing fluorophobic interactions were studied using poly(ethylene oxide-b-perfluorooctyl acrylate)s (O45FX, x = 8, 11) in methanolic solutions. DLS analysis of micelles revealed chain exchange only for O45F8 while SAXS analysis suggested elongated core block conformations commensurate with the contour lengths. Micelle chain exchange from solution perturbations were examined by characterizing their behavior as templates for inorganic materials via SAXS and SEM. In contrast to the F8 analog, the larger χN barrier for the O45F11 enabled persistent micelle behavior in both thin films and bulk samples despite the low Tg micelle core. Careful measures of micelle core diameters and pore sizes revealed that the nanoparticle distribution extended through the corona and 0.52 ± 0.15 nm into the core–corona interface, highlighting thermodynamics favoring both locations simultaneously.

Graphical abstract: High-χ, low-N micelles from partially perfluorinated block polymers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 เม.ย. 2565
Accepted
12 ส.ค. 2565
First published
16 ส.ค. 2565

Soft Matter, 2022,18, 7917-7930

Author version available

High-χ, low-N micelles from partially perfluorinated block polymers

E. R. Williams, W. van den Bergh and M. Stefik, Soft Matter, 2022, 18, 7917 DOI: 10.1039/D2SM00513A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements