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Shao X, Li D, Guo S, Yan J, Qian Y, Wang G. Preparation of diblock copolymer nano-assemblies by ultrasonics assisted ethanol-phase polymerization-induced self-assembly. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2024; 105:106855. [PMID: 38531733 PMCID: PMC11059131 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2024.106855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Assemblies are widely used in biomedicine, batteries, functional coatings, Pickering emulsifiers, hydrogels, and luminescent materials. Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) is a method for efficiently preparing particles, mainly initiated thermally. However, thermally initiated PISA usually requires a significant amount of time and energy. Here, we demonstrate the preparation of nano-assemblies with controllable morphologies and size using ultrasound (20 kHz) assisted ethanol-phase RAFT-PISA in three hours. Using poly (N, N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) as the macromolecular reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer agent (PDMA-CTA) to control the nucleating monomer benzyl methacrylate (BzMA), we obtained nano-assemblies with different morphologies. With the length of hydrophobic PBzMA block growth, the morphologies of the assemblies at 15 wt% solid content changed from spheres to vesicles, and finally to lamellae; the morphologies of the assemblies at 30 wt% changed from spheres micelles to short worms, then vesicles, and finally to large compound vesicles. With the same targeted degree of polymerization, nano-assemblies having a 30 wt% solid content display a more evolved morphology. The input of ultrasonic energy makes the system have higher surface free energy, results the mass fraction interval of solventphilic blocks (fhydrophilic) corresponding to the formation of spherical micelles is expanded from fhydrophilic > 45 % to fhydrophilic > 31 % under ultrasound and the fhydrophilic required to form worms, vesicles, and large composite vesicles decreases in turn. It is worth noting that the fhydrophilic interval of worms prepared by ultrasonics assisted PISA gets larger. Overall, the highly green, externally-regulatable and fast method of ultrasonics assisted PISA can be extended to vastly different diblock copolymers, for a wide range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Shao
- International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Industrial Solid Waste Cyclic Utilization and Advanced Materials, Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Manufacturing Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, PR China
| | - Dan Li
- International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Industrial Solid Waste Cyclic Utilization and Advanced Materials, Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Manufacturing Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, PR China.
| | - Shengwei Guo
- International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Industrial Solid Waste Cyclic Utilization and Advanced Materials, Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Manufacturing Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, PR China
| | - Jun Yan
- International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Industrial Solid Waste Cyclic Utilization and Advanced Materials, Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Manufacturing Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, PR China
| | - Yongqiang Qian
- International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Industrial Solid Waste Cyclic Utilization and Advanced Materials, Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Manufacturing Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, PR China
| | - Guxia Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, PR China.
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Maitland GL, Liu M, Neal TJ, Hammerton J, Han Y, Worrall SD, Topham PD, Derry MJ. Block copolymer synthesis in ionic liquid via polymerisation-induced self-assembly: a convenient route to gel electrolytes. Chem Sci 2024; 15:4416-4426. [PMID: 38516087 PMCID: PMC10952082 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc06717c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
We report for the first time a reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerisation-induced self-assembly (RAFT-PISA) formulation in ionic liquid (IL) that yields worm gels. A series of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-b-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PHEMA-b-PBzMA) block copolymer nanoparticles were synthesised via RAFT dispersion polymerisation of benzyl methacrylate in the hydrophilic IL 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium dicyanamide, [EMIM][DCA]. This RAFT-PISA formulation can be controlled to afford spherical, worm-like and vesicular nano-objects, with free-standing gels being obtained over a broad range of PBzMA core-forming degrees of polymerisation (DPs). High monomer conversions (≥96%) were obtained within 2 hours for all PISA syntheses as determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy, and good control over molar mass was confirmed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Nanoparticle morphologies were identified using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and further detailed characterisation was conducted to monitor rheological, electrochemical and thermal characteristics of the nanoparticle dispersions to assess their potential in future electronic applications. Most importantly, this new PISA formulation in IL facilitates the in situ formation of worm ionogel electrolyte materials at copolymer concentrations >4% w/w via efficient and convenient synthesis routes without the need for organic co-solvents or post-polymerisation processing/purification. Moreover, we demonstrate that the worm ionogels developed in this work exhibit comparable electrochemical properties and thermal stability to that of the IL alone, showcasing their potential as gel electrolytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia L Maitland
- Aston Advanced Materials Research Centre, Aston University Birmingham B4 7ET UK
| | - Mingyu Liu
- Aston Advanced Materials Research Centre, Aston University Birmingham B4 7ET UK
| | - Thomas J Neal
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh Joseph Black Building, David Brewster Road Edinburgh EH9 3FJ UK
| | - James Hammerton
- Aston Advanced Materials Research Centre, Aston University Birmingham B4 7ET UK
| | - Yisong Han
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick Coventry CV4 7AL UK
| | - Stephen D Worrall
- Aston Advanced Materials Research Centre, Aston University Birmingham B4 7ET UK
| | - Paul D Topham
- Aston Advanced Materials Research Centre, Aston University Birmingham B4 7ET UK
| | - Matthew J Derry
- Aston Advanced Materials Research Centre, Aston University Birmingham B4 7ET UK
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Buksa H, Neal TJ, Varlas S, Hunter SJ, Musa OM, Armes SP. Synthesis and Characterization of Charge-Stabilized Poly(4-hydroxybutyl acrylate) Latex by RAFT Aqueous Dispersion Polymerization: A New Precursor for Reverse Sequence Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly. Macromolecules 2023; 56:4296-4306. [PMID: 37333840 PMCID: PMC10273316 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
The reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) aqueous dispersion polymerization of 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate (HBA) is conducted using a water-soluble RAFT agent bearing a carboxylic acid group. This confers charge stabilization when such syntheses are conducted at pH 8, which leads to the formation of polydisperse anionic PHBA latex particles of approximately 200 nm diameter. The weakly hydrophobic nature of the PHBA chains confers stimulus-responsive behavior on such latexes, which are characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, aqueous electrophoresis, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Addition of a suitable water-miscible hydrophilic monomer such as 2-(N-(acryloyloxy)ethyl pyrrolidone) (NAEP) leads to in situ molecular dissolution of the PHBA latex, with subsequent RAFT polymerization leading to the formation of sterically stabilized PHBA-PNAEP diblock copolymer nanoparticles of approximately 57 nm diameter. Such formulations constitute a new approach to reverse sequence polymerization-induced self-assembly, whereby the hydrophobic block is prepared first in aqueous media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubert Buksa
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S3 7HF, U.K.
| | - Thomas J. Neal
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S3 7HF, U.K.
| | - Spyridon Varlas
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S3 7HF, U.K.
| | - Saul J. Hunter
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S3 7HF, U.K.
| | - Osama M. Musa
- Ashland
Specialty Ingredients, 1005 US 202/206, Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807, United States
| | - Steven P. Armes
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S3 7HF, U.K.
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Zhao X, Sun C, Xiong F, Wang T, Li S, Huo F, Yao X. Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly for Efficient Fabrication of Biomedical Nanoplatforms. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2023; 6:0113. [PMID: 37223484 PMCID: PMC10202185 DOI: 10.34133/research.0113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Amphiphilic copolymers can self-assemble into nano-objects in aqueous solution. However, the self-assembly process is usually performed in a diluted solution (<1 wt%), which greatly limits scale-up production and further biomedical applications. With recent development of controlled polymerization techniques, polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) has emerged as an efficient approach for facile fabrication of nano-sized structures with a high concentration as high as 50 wt%. In this review, after the introduction, various polymerization method-mediated PISAs that include nitroxide-mediated polymerization-mediated PISA (NMP-PISA), reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization-mediated PISA (RAFT-PISA), atom transfer radical polymerization-mediated PISA (ATRP-PISA), and ring-opening polymerization-mediated PISA (ROP-PISA) are discussed carefully. Afterward, recent biomedical applications of PISA are illustrated from the following aspects, i.e., bioimaging, disease treatment, biocatalysis, and antimicrobial. In the end, current achievements and future perspectives of PISA are given. It is envisioned that PISA strategy can bring great chance for future design and construction of functional nano-vehicles.
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Shape-Shifting Thermoresponsive Block Copolymer Nano-Objects. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 634:906-920. [PMID: 36566636 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In this Feature Article, we review our recent progress in the design of shape-shifting thermoresponsive diblock copolymer nano-objects, which are prepared using various hydroxyl-functional (meth)acrylic monomers (e.g. 2‑hydroxypropyl methacrylate, 4‑hydroxybutyl acrylate or hydroxybutyl methacrylate) to generate the thermoresponsive block. Unlike traditional thermoresponsive polymers such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), there is no transition between soluble and insoluble polymer chains in aqueous solution. Instead, thermally driven transitions between a series of copolymer morphologies (e.g. spheres, worms, vesicles or lamellae) occur on adjusting the aqueous solution temperature owing to a subtle change in the partial degree of hydration of the permanently insoluble thermoresponsive block. Such remarkable self-assembly behavior is unprecedented in colloid science: no other amphiphilic diblock copolymer or surfactant system undergoes such behavior at a fixed chemical composition and concentration. Such shape-shifting nano-objects are characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, small-angle X-ray scattering, rheology and variable temperature 1H NMR spectroscopy. Potential applications for this fascinating new class of amphiphiles are briefly considered.
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Ikkene D, Six JL, Ferji K. Progress in Aqueous Dispersion RAFT PISA. Eur Polym J 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2023.111848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Audureau N, Coumes F, Guigner JM, Guibert C, Stoffelbach F, Rieger J. Dual Thermo- and pH-Responsive N-Cyanomethylacrylamide-Based Nano-Objects Prepared by RAFT-Mediated Aqueous Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Audureau
- Sorbonne Université & CNRS, UMR 8232, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire (IPCM), Polymer Chemistry Team, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Fanny Coumes
- Sorbonne Université & CNRS, UMR 8232, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire (IPCM), Polymer Chemistry Team, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Jean-Michel Guigner
- Sorbonne Université & CNRS, UMR 7590, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC)-IRD-MNHN, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Clément Guibert
- Sorbonne Université & CNRS, UMR 7197, Laboratoire de Réactivité de Surface (LRS), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - François Stoffelbach
- Sorbonne Université & CNRS, UMR 8232, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire (IPCM), Polymer Chemistry Team, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Jutta Rieger
- Sorbonne Université & CNRS, UMR 8232, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire (IPCM), Polymer Chemistry Team, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
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Hunter SJ, Penfold NJW, Jones ER, Zinn T, Mykhaylyk OO, Armes SP. Synthesis of Thermoresponsive Diblock Copolymer Nano-Objects via RAFT Aqueous Emulsion Polymerization of Hydroxybutyl Methacrylate. Macromolecules 2022; 55:3051-3062. [PMID: 35492576 PMCID: PMC9047412 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Saul J. Hunter
- Dainton Building, Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield, Yorkshire S3 7HF, U.K
| | - Nicholas J. W. Penfold
- Dainton Building, Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield, Yorkshire S3 7HF, U.K
| | | | - Thomas Zinn
- ESRF - The European Synchrotron, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Oleksandr O. Mykhaylyk
- Dainton Building, Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield, Yorkshire S3 7HF, U.K
| | - Steven P. Armes
- Dainton Building, Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield, Yorkshire S3 7HF, U.K
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