Cooperation of Amphiphilicity and Smectic Order in Regulating the Self-Assembly of Cholesterol-Functionalized Brush-Like Block Copolymers

Langmuir. 2018 Sep 18;34(37):11034-11041. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01946. Epub 2018 Aug 31.

Abstract

Nanoparticle morphology significantly affects the application of nanometer-scale materials. Understanding nanoparticle formation mechanisms and directing morphological control in nanoparticle self-assembly processes have received wide attention. Herein, a series of brush-like amphiphilic liquid crystalline block copolymers, PChEMA m- b-POEGMA n, containing cholesteryl mesogens with different hydrophobic/hydrophilic block ratios were designed and synthesized. The self-assembly behaviors of the resulting PChEMA m- b-POEGMA n block copolymers in different solvents (tetrahydrofuran/H2O, 1,4-dioxane/H2O, and N, N-dimethylformamide) were investigated in detail. Desirable micellar aggregates with well-organized architectures, including short cylindrical micelles, nanofibers, fringed platelets, and ellipsoidal vesicles with smectic micellar cores, were observed in 1,4-dioxane/H2O with an increasing hydrophobic block ratio. Although both amphiphilicity and smectic order governed the self-assembly, these two factors were differently balanced in the different solvents. This unique supramolecular system provides a new strategy for the design of advanced functional nanomaterials with tunable morphologies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cholesterol / analogs & derivatives*
  • Cholesterol / chemical synthesis
  • Cholesterol / chemistry*
  • Dimethylformamide / chemistry
  • Dioxanes / chemistry
  • Furans / chemistry
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemical synthesis
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry*
  • Methacrylates / chemical synthesis
  • Methacrylates / chemistry*
  • Micelles
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemical synthesis
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry*
  • Polymethacrylic Acids / chemical synthesis
  • Polymethacrylic Acids / chemistry*
  • Solvents / chemistry
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemistry*
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Dioxanes
  • Furans
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Methacrylates
  • Micelles
  • Polymethacrylic Acids
  • Solvents
  • Surface-Active Agents
  • polyethylene glycol methacrylate
  • Water
  • tetrahydrofuran
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Dimethylformamide
  • Cholesterol
  • 1,4-dioxane