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Otulakowski Ł, Kasprow M, Gadzinowski M, Slomkowski S, Makowski T, Basinska T, Forys A, Godzierz M, Trzebicka B. Influence of hydrophilic block length on the aggregation properties of polyglycidol-polystyrene-polyglycidol copolymers. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:546-557. [PMID: 38126407 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01194a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Amphiphilic triblock copolymers, polyglycidol-polystyrene-polyglycidol (PGL-PS-PGL), were synthesised via anionic polymerization starting from the synthesis of a polystyrene macroinitiator with 60 styrene units in the block terminated by ethylene oxide. Poly(ethoxyethyl glycidyl ether) blocks of different lengths were created on both sides of the macroinitiator. By removing the ethoxyethyl blocking groups, PGL-PS-PGL copolymers containing polyglycidol blocks with DP 11, 23, 44 and 63 were received. Their structures were determined by NMR and FTIR. The hydrophilicity of PLG-PS-PGL films was studied upon exposure to water vapour. To perform the copolymers' aggregation in water, the samples were dialysed from DMF into water. The critical concentration of their micellisation (CMC) was determined by measuring the absorbance of the 1,6-diphenylhexa-1,3,5-triene (DPH) probe and the intensity of light scattered by the copolymers' solution as a function of concentration. CMC values increased with increasing the number of hydrophilic glycidol units in the copolymer chain. The sizes of aggregates formed slightly above the critical concentration were measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS), and particles were imaged by cryo-TEM. Cryo-TEM pictures showed the presence of regular micelles in copolymer dispersions. For copolymers with shorter PGL chains aggregated partices were detected. Moreover, cryo-TEM demonstrated that the copolymers with a polyglycidol block of DP = 63 formed regular spherical micelles that formed 2D ordered organisation on the surface. X-ray measurements showed the formation of a partially crystallised PS core in the micelle's interior. The aggregates of all copolymers were stable. Their sizes did not change after one year of storage. The particles did not disassociate even after diluting their dispersions to a concentration 10 times lower than the critical concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Otulakowski
- Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 34, Zabrze, 41-819, Poland.
| | - Maciej Kasprow
- Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 34, Zabrze, 41-819, Poland.
| | - Mariusz Gadzinowski
- Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewicza 112, 90-363 Lodz, Poland
| | - Stanislaw Slomkowski
- Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewicza 112, 90-363 Lodz, Poland
| | - Tomasz Makowski
- Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewicza 112, 90-363 Lodz, Poland
| | - Teresa Basinska
- Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewicza 112, 90-363 Lodz, Poland
| | - Aleksander Forys
- Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 34, Zabrze, 41-819, Poland.
| | - Marcin Godzierz
- Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 34, Zabrze, 41-819, Poland.
| | - Barbara Trzebicka
- Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 34, Zabrze, 41-819, Poland.
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Hallinan DT, Minelli M, Oparaji O, Sardano A, Iyiola O, Garcia AR, Burnett DJ. Effect of Polystyrene Synthesis Method on Water Sorption and Glass Transition. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:1059. [PMID: 36363618 PMCID: PMC9692681 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12111059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Commodity PS is synthesized via free radical polymerization, whereas PS in block copolymers (BCPs) is typically synthesized via living anionic polymerization. The purpose of this work is to investigate how the synthesis method impacts important properties such as water sorption and glass transition temperature (Tg). Water sorption is important because the performance of nanostructured polymer membranes in various applications is known to be affected by environmental conditions such as humidity. Tg is important because it dictates processing conditions, both for commodity PS as well as BCPs such as thermoplastic elastomers. Water sorption in commercial PS was found to be 0.5 mgwater/gpolymer at the highest humidities investigated (about 80%), in agreement with literature. On the other hand, syndiotactic PS synthesized anionically at low temperature absorbed more water, up to 1.5 mgwater/gpolymer, due to higher free volume. The greatest impact on water sorption was due to addition of hydrophilic hydroxyl chain ends to atactic PS, which resulted in water sorption of up to 2.3 mgwater/gpolymer. In addition to measuring water sorption and dry Tg separately, the impact of relative humidity on PS Tg was examined. Combined differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis show that on going from the dry state to high humidity, the Tg of PS decreases by 5 °C. Moreover, the tensile storage modulus of PS decreases from 1.58 GPa at 0% RH to 0.53 GPa at 40% RH. In addition to the practical relevance of this study, this report fills a gap in experimental literature by using a poor solvent system, PS/water, to examine plasticization in the pure polymer limit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel T. Hallinan
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Florida A&M University–Florida State University College of Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA
- Aero-Propulsion, Mechatronics, and Energy (AME) Center, Florida A&M University–Florida State University College of Engineering, 2003 Levy Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA
| | - Matteo Minelli
- Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering (DICAM)—Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Terracini 28, Bologna 40131, Italy
- Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research in Advanced Mechanical Engineering Applications and Materials Technology (MAM)—Alma Mater Studiorum, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - Onyekachi Oparaji
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Florida A&M University–Florida State University College of Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA
- Aero-Propulsion, Mechatronics, and Energy (AME) Center, Florida A&M University–Florida State University College of Engineering, 2003 Levy Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA
| | - Andrea Sardano
- Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research in Advanced Mechanical Engineering Applications and Materials Technology (MAM)—Alma Mater Studiorum, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - Oluwagbenga Iyiola
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Florida A&M University–Florida State University College of Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA
- Aero-Propulsion, Mechatronics, and Energy (AME) Center, Florida A&M University–Florida State University College of Engineering, 2003 Levy Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA
| | - Armando R. Garcia
- Surface Measurement Systems, 2125 28th Street SW, Suite 1, Allentown, PA 18103, USA
| | - Daniel J. Burnett
- Surface Measurement Systems, 2125 28th Street SW, Suite 1, Allentown, PA 18103, USA
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Coceancigh H, Xue L, Nagasaka S, Higgins DA, Ito T. Solvent-Induced Swelling Behaviors of Microphase-Separated Polystyrene- block-Poly(ethylene oxide) Thin Films Investigated Using In Situ Spectroscopic Ellipsometry and Single-Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:8338-8349. [PMID: 36219821 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Block copolymers have attracted considerable interest in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology because these polymers afford well-defined nanostructures via self-assembly. An in-depth understanding of solvent effects on the physicochemical properties of these microdomains is crucial for their preparation and utilization. Herein, we employed in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry and single-molecule fluorescence techniques to gain detailed insights into microdomain properties in polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) films exposed to ethanol- and water-saturated N2. We observed a quick increase and a subsequent gradual decrease in the ellipsometric thickness of PS-b-PEO films upon exposure to ethanol-saturated N2. This observation was unexpected because ethanol-saturated N2 induced negligible thickness change for PS and PEO homopolymer films. The similarity in maximum thickness gain observed under ethanol- and water-saturated N2 implied the swelling of PEO microdomains. Ethanol vapor permeation through the PEO microdomains was supported by the redshift of the ensemble and single-molecule fluorescence emission of Nile red in PS-b-PEO films. Single-molecule tracking data showed the initial enhancement and subsequent reduction of the diffusion of hydrophilic sulforhodamine B molecules in PS-b-PEO films upon exposure to ethanol-saturated N2, consistent with the spectroscopic ellipsometry results. The higher ethanol susceptibility of the PEO microdomains was attributable to their amorphous nature, as shown by FTIR data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herman Coceancigh
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas66506-0401, United States
| | - Lianjie Xue
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas66506-0401, United States
| | - Shinobu Nagasaka
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas66506-0401, United States
| | - Daniel A Higgins
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas66506-0401, United States
| | - Takashi Ito
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas66506-0401, United States
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Bessif B, Pfohl T, Heck B, Alshetwi Y, Khechine E, Xu J, Reiter G. In Situ Dissolution and Swelling of Confined Lamellar Polymer Crystals through Exposure to Humid Air. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brahim Bessif
- Physikalisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Pfohl
- Physikalisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Heck
- Physikalisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Yaser Alshetwi
- Physikalisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Emna Khechine
- Physikalisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jun Xu
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Günter Reiter
- Physikalisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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White JM, Jurczyk J, Van Horn RM. Physical structure contributions in pH degradation of PEO-b-PCL films. Polym Degrad Stab 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2020.109468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Aryal D, Howard MP, Samanta R, Antoine S, Segalman R, Truskett TM, Ganesan V. Influence of pore morphology on the diffusion of water in triblock copolymer membranes. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:014904. [PMID: 31914764 DOI: 10.1063/1.5128119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the transport properties of water in self-assembled block copolymer morphologies is important for furthering the use of such materials as water-purifying membranes. In this study, we used coarse-grained dissipative particle dynamics simulations to clarify the influence of pore morphology on the self-diffusion of water in linear-triblock-copolymer membranes. We considered representative lamellar, cylindrical, and gyroid morphologies and present results for both the global and local diffusivities of water in the pores. Our results suggest that the diffusivity of water in the confined, polymer-coated pores differs from that in the unconfined bulk. Explicitly, in confinement, the mobility of water is reduced by the hydrodynamic friction arising from the hydrophilic blocks coating the pore walls. We demonstrate that in lamella and cylindrical morphologies, the latter effects can be rendered as a universal function of the pore size relative to the brush height of the hydrophilic blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipak Aryal
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Michael P Howard
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Rituparna Samanta
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Segolene Antoine
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
| | - Rachel Segalman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
| | - Thomas M Truskett
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Venkat Ganesan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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Van Horn RM, Steffen MR, O'Connor D. Recent progress in block copolymer crystallization. POLYMER CRYSTALLIZATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/pcr2.10039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M. Van Horn
- Department of Chemistry Allegheny College Meadville Pennsylvania
| | | | - Dana O'Connor
- Department of Chemistry Allegheny College Meadville Pennsylvania
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Oparaji O, Narayanan S, Sandy A, Ramakrishnan S, Hallinan D. Structural Dynamics of Strongly Segregated Block Copolymer Electrolytes. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Onyekachi Oparaji
- FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida A&M University−Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
- The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32303, United States
| | - Suresh Narayanan
- Argonne National
Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Alec Sandy
- Argonne National
Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Subramanian Ramakrishnan
- FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida A&M University−Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
- The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32303, United States
| | - Daniel Hallinan
- FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida A&M University−Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
- The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32303, United States
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