Published in

CSIRO Publishing, Australian Journal of Chemistry, 2(72), p. 155, 2019

DOI: 10.1071/ch18349

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Cluster–Micelle Transition of a Thermo- and Photoresponsive ABC Triblock Copolymer in an Ionic Liquid

This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.

Full text: Unavailable

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Red circle
Published version: archiving forbidden
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

We report the photocontrollable micelle–cluster transition of an ABC-type triblock copolymer in an ionic liquid (IL). Polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(4-phenylazobenzyl acrylamide-r-N-isopropylacrylamide) (PSt-b-PEO-b-P(AzoBnAm-r-NIPAm)) was synthesised, where PSt is IL-phobic, PEO is IL-philic, and P(AzoBnAm-r-NIPAm) is photo- and thermoresponsive in the IL. At high temperatures, the triblock copolymer forms micelles with PSt cores; furthermore, at low temperatures, micelles self-assemble into clusters induced by the aggregation of P(AzoBnAm-r-NIPAm). Under UV irradiation, the micelles form clusters at lower temperatures than that in the dark because of the change in the solubility of P(AzoBnAm-r-NIPAm) induced by photoisomerisation of the azobenzene groups, indicating that this triblock copolymer has a photocontrollable micelle–cluster transition temperature.