Precision Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Random Copolymers into Uniform and Self-Sorting Nanocompartments in Water

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• 作者：Yuji Hirai ; Takaya Terashima ; Mikihito Takenaka ; Mitsuo Sawamoto
• 刊名：Macromolecules
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：July 26, 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：49
• 期：14
• 页码：5084-5091
• 全文大小：538K
• 年卷期：0
• ISSN：1520-5835

文摘

Self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules in water is a cornerstone to build compartmentalized materials toward unique functions, whereas it is yet challenging to create uniform, discrete, and size-controlled nanocompartments. This paper is to report that precision random copolymers, amphiphilic with hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and hydrophobic dodecyl pendants, induce precision self-assembly and self-recognition in water to form uniform, tunable, and self-sorting nanoparticles with inner-core hydrophobic compartments covered by PEG chains; the copolymers have been obtained via living or free radical copolymerization. The nanoparticles allow the on-target and predictable control of size, molecular weight, and aggregation number by tuning the primary structure of the copolymers; even mixtures of the copolymers with different composition underwent self-sorting to provide size-controlled discrete compartments.