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Lodge TP, Seitzinger CL, Seeger SC, Yang S, Gupta S, Dorfman KD. Dynamics and Equilibration Mechanisms in Block Copolymer Particles. ACS POLYMERS AU 2022; 2:397-416. [PMID: 36536887 PMCID: PMC9756915 DOI: 10.1021/acspolymersau.2c00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembly of block copolymers into interesting and useful nanostructures, in both solution and bulk, is a vibrant research arena. While much attention has been paid to characterization and prediction of equilibrium phases, the associated dynamic processes are far from fully understood. Here, we explore what is known and not known about the equilibration of particle phases in the bulk, and spherical micelles in solution. The presumed primary equilibration mechanisms are chain exchange, fusion, and fragmentation. These processes have been extensively studied in surfactants and lipids, where they occur on subsecond time scales. In contrast, increased chain lengths in block copolymers create much larger barriers, and time scales can become prohibitively slow. In practice, equilibration of block copolymers is achievable only in proximity to the critical micelle temperature (in solution) or the order-disorder transition (in the bulk). Detailed theories for these processes in block copolymers are few. In the bulk, the rate of chain exchange can be quantified by tracer diffusion measurements. Often the rate of equilibration, in terms of number density and aggregation number of particles, is much slower than chain exchange, and consequently observed particle phases are often metastable. This is particularly true in regions of the phase diagram where Frank-Kasper phases occur. Chain exchange in solution has been explored quantitatively by time-resolved SANS, but the results are not well captured by theory. Computer simulations, particularly via dissipative particle dynamics, are beginning to shed light on the chain escape mechanism at the molecular level. The rate of fragmentation has been quantified in a few experimental systems, and TEM images support a mechanism akin to the anaphase stage of mitosis in cells, via a thin neck that pinches off to produce two smaller micelles. Direct measurements of micelle fusion are quite rare. Suggestions for future theoretical, computational, and experimental efforts are offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy P. Lodge
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Minnesota 207 Pleasant St SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
- Department
of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Minnesota 451 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Claire L. Seitzinger
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Minnesota 207 Pleasant St SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Sarah C. Seeger
- Department
of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Minnesota 451 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Sanghee Yang
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Minnesota 207 Pleasant St SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Supriya Gupta
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Minnesota 207 Pleasant St SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Kevin D. Dorfman
- Department
of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Minnesota 451 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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Seeger SC, Lodge TP, Dorfman KD. Mechanism of Escape of a Single Chain from a Diblock Copolymer Micelle. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C. Seeger
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota55455, United States
| | - Timothy P. Lodge
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota55455, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota55455, United States
| | - Kevin D. Dorfman
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota55455, United States
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Wang M, Lin Y, Gao J, Liu D. DPD simulations on morphologies and structures of blank PLGA- b-PEG- b-PLGA polymeric micelles and docetaxel-loaded PLGA- b-PEG- b-PLGA polymeric micelles. RSC Adv 2022; 12:12078-12088. [PMID: 35481080 PMCID: PMC9020346 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra00940d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation was used to study the morphologies and structures of blank (no drug) poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA-b-PEG-b-PLGA) polymeric micelles and the docetaxel (Dtx)-loaded PLGA-b-PEG-b-PLGA polymeric micelles. We focused on the influences of PLGA-b-PEG-b-PLGA copolymer concentration, composition, Dtx drug content and the shear rate on morphologies and structures of the micelles. Our simulations show that the PLGA-b-PEG-b-PLGA copolymers in the aqueous solutions could aggregate and form blank micelles while Dtx drug and PLGA-b-PEG-b-PLGA could aggregate and form drug-loaded micelles. Under different PLGA-b-PEG-b-PLGA concentrations and drug content, the blank and drug-loaded micelles are observed as spherical, onionlike, columnar, and lamellar structures. The onionlike structures are comprised of the PEG hydrophilic core, the PLGA hydrophobic middle layer, and the PEG hydrophilic shell. As the structure of micelles varies from a spherical core-shell structure to a core-middle layer-shell onionlike structure, the distribution of the Dtx drugs diffuses from the core to the PLGA middle layer of the aggregate. In addition, the drug release process of the Dtx-loaded micelles under shear flow is also simulated. And the results show that the spherical micelles turn into a columnar structure under a shear rate from 0.2 to 3.4. When the shear rate increases to 3.5, the Dtx drugs released gradually increase until all are released with time evolution. These findings illustrate the dependence of the structural morphologies on the detailed molecular parameters of PLGA-b-PEG-b-PLGA and Dtx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyao Wang
- School of Science, North China University of Science and Technology Tangshan 063210 P. R. China
| | - Ye Lin
- School of Science, North China University of Science and Technology Tangshan 063210 P. R. China
| | - Jianxu Gao
- School of Science, North China University of Science and Technology Tangshan 063210 P. R. China
| | - Dongmei Liu
- School of Science, North China University of Science and Technology Tangshan 063210 P. R. China
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Zarrini S, Abrams CF. Roles of the Coupling Agent and Surfactant in Droplet Structure in Sizing Emulsions: A Molecular Dynamics Simulations Study. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:10183-10190. [PMID: 34396774 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Sizing emulsions used as glass fiber surface treatments in composites manufacturing are aqueous suspensions of hydrophobic film formers, surface coupling agents, and surfactants. We employ all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to characterize droplet structures in several aqueous blends of the film-former diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, coupling agent glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane, and a triblock copolymer surfactant (Pluronic L35 PEO/PPO copolymer). We show that the quasi-equilibrium states of emulsion droplets are invariant to different initial configurations. We examine the role of the surfactant in determining coupling agent partitioning between the droplet shell and corona and coupling agent cluster size distributions. This work takes a step toward systematic understanding of the sizing chemistry to optimize the interface between the glass and the resin in commercially relevant composites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salman Zarrini
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Cameron F Abrams
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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Deaton TA, Aydin F, Li NK, Chu X, Dutt M, Yingling YG. Dissipative Particle Dynamics Approaches to Modeling the Self-Assembly and Morphology of Neutral and Ionic Block Copolymers in Solution. FOUNDATIONS OF MOLECULAR MODELING AND SIMULATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-33-6639-8_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
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Feng YH, Zhang XP, Zhao ZQ, Guo XD. Dissipative Particle Dynamics Aided Design of Drug Delivery Systems: A Review. Mol Pharm 2020; 17:1778-1799. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Hao Feng
- Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China
- Key Lab of Biomedical Materials of Natural Macromolecules (Beijing University of Chemical Technology), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xiao Peng Zhang
- Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China
- Key Lab of Biomedical Materials of Natural Macromolecules (Beijing University of Chemical Technology), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Ze Qiang Zhao
- Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China
- Key Lab of Biomedical Materials of Natural Macromolecules (Beijing University of Chemical Technology), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xin Dong Guo
- Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China
- Key Lab of Biomedical Materials of Natural Macromolecules (Beijing University of Chemical Technology), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100029, China
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Prhashanna A, Dormidontova EE. Micelle Self-Assembly and Chain Exchange Kinetics of Tadpole Block Copolymers with a Cyclic Corona Block. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ammu Prhashanna
- Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science and Physics Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Elena E. Dormidontova
- Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science and Physics Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
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Kang G, Sun L, Liu Y, Meng C, Ma W, Wang B, Ma L, Yu C, Wei H. Micelles with Cyclic Poly(ε-caprolactone) Moieties: Greater Stability, Larger Drug Loading Capacity, and Slower Degradation Property for Controlled Drug Release. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:12509-12517. [PMID: 31487459 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b02346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Polymer topology exerts a significant effect on its properties and performance for potential applications. Cyclic topology and its derived structures have been recently shown to outperform conventional linear analogues for drug delivery applications. However, an amphiphilic tadpole-shaped copolymer consisting of a cylic hydrophobic moiety has rarely been explored. For this purpose, a tadpole-shaped amphiphilic diblock copolymer of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-(cyclic poly(ε-caprolactone)) (mPEG-b-cPCL) was synthesized successfully via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-CL using a mPEG-based macroinitiator with both a hydroxyl and an azide termini and subsequent intrachain Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAc) click cyclization. A comparison study on the self-assembly behaviors, in vitro drug loading and drug release profiles, and degradation properties of the resulting mPEG-b-cPCL (C) with those of the linear counterpart (mPEG-b-PCL, L) revealed that mPEG-b-cPCL micelles are a better formulation than the micelles formed by the linear counterparts in terms of micelle stability, drug loading capacity, and the degradation property. Interestingly, compared to the single degradation of L, C exhibited a slower two-stage degradation process including the topological change from tadpole shape to linear conformation and the subsequent degradation of a linear polymer. This study therefore uncovered the topological effect of a hydrophobic moiety on the properties of the self-assembled micelles and developed a complementary alternative to enhance the micelle stability by introducing a cyclic hydrophobic segment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiying Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Lu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Yuping Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Chao Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Wei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Baoyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Liwei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Cuiyun Yu
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study and Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology , University of South China , Hengyang 421001 , China
| | - Hua Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study and Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology , University of South China , Hengyang 421001 , China
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Thanneeru S, Li W, He J. Controllable Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Tadpole-Shaped Polymer Single-Chain Nanoparticles Prepared through Intrachain Photo-cross-linking. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:2619-2629. [PMID: 30673287 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b03095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We report the use of intramolecular cross-linking chemistry as a tool to control the self-assembly of amphiphilic diblock copolymers (di-BCPs). Two amphiphilic di-BCPs of poly( N, N'-dimethylacrylamide)- block-polystyrene (PDMA- b-PS) with photo-cross-linkable cinnamoyl groups in either hydrophobic or hydrophilic blocks were prepared using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. Intramolecular photo-cross-linking of cinnamoyl groups led to the formation of tadpole-shaped polymer single-chain nanoparticles (SCNPs) consisting of a self-collapsed block as the "head" and an un-cross-linked block as the "tail". When intramolecular photo-cross-linking was carried out in hydrophobic PS blocks, a clear morphological transition from branched cylindrical micelles (for the linear di-BCP) to completely spherical micelles at a dimerization degree of ∼63% was observed. A pattern of morphological transitions from cylindrical micelles to spherical micelles is observed through stepwise downsizing the length of cylindrical micelles when increasing the self-collapse degree of PS blocks, whereas, in case of photo-cross-linking carried out in hydrophilic PDMA blocks, the size of micelles showed a dramatic increase due to the shift of hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic balance. When the cross-linking degree of PDMA blocks reached >60%, tadpole-shaped SCNPs assembled into nonconventional aggregates with a nonsmooth surface. Our results illustrate the impact of chain topologies on the self-assembly outcomes of amphiphilic di-BCPs, which likely opens a door to control the micellar morphologies from just one parent linear di-BCP, rather than resynthesizing BPCs with different volume fractions of the two blocks.
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Wang E, Lu J, Bates FS, Lodge TP. Effect of Corona Block Length on the Structure and Chain Exchange Kinetics of Block Copolymer Micelles. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Li S, Zhang Y, Liu H, Yu C, Zhou Y, Yan D. Asymmetric Polymersomes from an Oil-in-Oil Emulsion: A Computer Simulation Study. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2017; 33:10084-10093. [PMID: 28857572 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b02411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Asymmetric vesicles are valuable for understanding and mimicking cell and practical biomedicine applications. Recently, a very straightforward methodology for fabricating asymmetric polymersome was developed by Lodge's group through the coassembly of polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) and polybutadiene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PB-b-PEO) block copolymers at the interface of a polystyrene/polybutadiene/chloroform (PS/PB/CHCl3) emulsion. However, the in-depth microscopic mechanism for the formation of asymmetric polymersomes remains unclear. To address this issue, in this article, the coassembly process for the formation of the asymmetric polymersomes in Asano's experimental system was systematically investigated by employing a dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation. Our results definitely demonstrate the formation of the asymmetric polymersomes such as that in the experiments and that the bilayer formed through the folding and crossing of the PEO blocks. Besides, from the microscopic view, three stages can be discerned in the formation process: (1) the formation of micelles, (2) the micelle diffusion to the interface, and (3) the micelle rearrangement at the interface to form an asymmetric polymersome. Meanwhile, the incompatibility among PS, PB, and PEO is proven to be the main driving force for asymmetric polymersome formation. Moreover, the effects of the order of addition of copolymers and the volume fraction of PEO blocks on the structure of the asymmetric polymersomes are also investigated. We find that the formation process is affected severely by the order of addition, and adding PS-b-PEO first can make the asymmetric bilayer more perfect. Not only that, but perfect asymmetric polymersomes can be formed only when the volume fraction of PEO (fPEO) is greater than 0.55. We believe the present work can extend the knowledge of the self-assembly of asymmetric polymersomes, especially with respect to the self-assembly mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanlong Li
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, China 200240
| | - Yinglin Zhang
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, China 200240
| | - Hong Liu
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Jilin University , Changchun, China 130021
| | - Chunyang Yu
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, China 200240
| | - Yongfeng Zhou
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, China 200240
| | - Deyue Yan
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, China 200240
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Peters AJ, Lodge TP. Chain Exchange Kinetics of Asymmetric B1AB2 Linear Triblock and AB1B2 Branched Triblock Copolymers. Macromolecules 2017. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Peters
- Department
of Chemistry and ‡Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials
Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Timothy P. Lodge
- Department
of Chemistry and ‡Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials
Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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