One-Step Synthesis of Amphiphilic Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Block Copolymers by Surfactant-Free Heterogeneous Radical Polymerization

Stimuli-Responsive Aggregation of High Molar Mass Poly(N,N-Diethylacrylamide)-b-Poly(4-Acryloylmorpholine) in Tetrahydrofuran

The self-assembly of block copolymers constitutes a timely research area in polymer science with implications for applications like sensing or drug-delivery. Here, the unprecedented aggregation behavior of high molar mass block copolymer poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide)-b-poly(4-acryloylmorpholine) (PDEA-b-PAM) (M_n >400 kg mol^-1 ) in organic solvent tetrahydrofuran (THF) is investigated. To elucidate the aggregation, dynamic light scattering, cryo-transmission electron microscopy, and turbidimetry are employed. The aggregate formation is assigned to the unprecedented upper critical solution temperature behavior of PAM in THF at elevated concentrations (> 6 wt.%) and high molar masses. Various future directions for this new thermo-responsive block copolymer are envisioned, for example, in the areas of photonics or templating of inorganic structures.

Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Nanoparticles

There is increasing evidence that stimuli-responsive nanomaterials have become significantly critical components of modern materials design and technological developments. Recent advances in synthesis and fabrication of stimuli-responsive polymeric nanoparticles with built-in stimuli-responsive components (Part A) and surface modifications of functional nanoparticles that facilitate responsiveness (Part B) are outlined here. The synthesis and construction of stimuli-responsive spherical, core-shell, concentric, hollow, Janus, gibbous/inverse gibbous, and cocklebur morphologies are discussed in Part A, with the focus on shape, color, or size changes resulting from external stimuli. Although inorganic/metallic nanoparticles exhibit many useful properties, including thermal or electrical conductivity, catalytic activity, or magnetic properties, their assemblies and formation of higher order constructs are often enhanced by surface modifications. Section B focuses on selected surface reactions that lead to responsiveness achieved by decorating nanoparticles with stimuli-responsive polymers. Although grafting-to and grafting-from dominate these synthetic efforts, there are opportunities for developing novel synthetic approaches facilitating controllable recognition, signaling, or sequential responses. Many nanotechnologies utilize a combination of organic and inorganic phases to produce ceramic or metallic nanoparticles. One can envision the development of new properties by combining inorganic (metals, metal oxides) and organic (polymer) phases into one nanoparticle designated as "ceramers" (inorganics) and "metamers" (metallic).

Quantitative Predictions of Shape-Memory Effects in Polymers

Unique shape-memory transitions manifested by directional extension and subsequent retraction in polymers are attributed to stored conformational entropy. This behavior is quantified in terms of stored (ΔS _S ) entropic energy density, the maximum strain (ε_max ), and stress (σ_SF at ε_max ). This concept allows quantitative assessments of the shape-memory effect (SME) and can be utilized in any material that exhibits a glass-transition temperature (T _g ) and a rubbery plateau.

Instantaneous Directional Growth of Block Copolymer Nanowires During Heterogeneous Radical Polymerization (HRP)

Polymeric nanowires that consist of ultrahigh molecular weight block copolymers were instantaneously prepared via one-step surfactant-free heterogeneous radical polymerization (HRP). Under heterogeneous reaction and initiator-starvation conditions, the sequential copolymerization of hydrophilic and hydrophobic monomers facilitates the formation of amphiphilic ultrahigh molecular weight block copolymers, which instantaneously assemble to polymeric nanowires. As polymerization progresses, initially formed nanoparticles exhibit the directional growth due to localized repulsive forces of hydrophilic blocks and confinement of the hydrophobic blocks that adopt favorable high aspect ratio nanowire morphologies. Using one-step synthetic approach that requires only four ingredients (water as a solvent, two polymerizable monomers (one hydrophilic and one hydrophobic), and water-soluble initiator), block copolymer nanowires ∼70 nm in diameter and hundreds of microns in length are instantaneously grown. For example, when 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and styrene (St) were copolymerized, high aspect ratio nanowires consist of ultrahigh (>10(6) g/mol) molecular weight pDMAEMA-b-St block copolymers and the presence of temperature responsive pDMAEMA blocks facilitates nanowire diameter changes as a function of temperature. These morphologies may serve as structural components of the higher order biological constructs at micro and larger length scales, ranging from single strand nanowires to engineered biomolecular networks capable of responding to diverse and transient environmental signals, and capable of dimensional changes triggered by external stimuli.