Synthesis of Well-Defined Y-Shaped Zwitterionic Block Copolymers via Atom-Transfer Radical Polymerization

Double hydrophilic copolymers - synthetic approaches, architectural variety, and current application fields

Solubility and functionality of polymeric materials are essential properties determining their role in any application. In that regard, double hydrophilic copolymers (DHC) are typically constructed from two chemically dissimilar but water-soluble building blocks. During the past decades, these materials have been intensely developed and utilised as, e.g., matrices for the design of multifunctional hybrid materials, in drug carriers and gene delivery, as nanoreactors, or as sensors. This is predominantly due to almost unlimited possibilities to precisely tune DHC composition and topology, their solution behavior, e.g., stimuli-response, and potential interactions with small molecules, ions and (nanoparticle) surfaces. In this contribution we want to highlight that this class of polymers has experienced tremendous progress regarding synthesis, architectural variety, and the possibility to combine response to different stimuli within one material. Especially the implementation of DHCs as versatile building blocks in hybrid materials expanded the range of water-based applications during the last two decades, which now includes also photocatalysis, sensing, and 3D inkjet printing of hydrogels, definitely going beyond already well-established utilisation in biomedicine or as templates.

End-functionalized polymers by controlled/living radical polymerizations: synthesis and applications

This review focuses on end-functionalized polymers synthesized by controlled/living radical polymerizations and the applications in fields including bioconjugate formation, surface modification, topology construction, and self-assembly.

Salt-Dependent Phase Transition Behavior of Doubly Thermoresponsive Poly(sulfobetaine)-Based Diblock Copolymer Thin Films

The water vapor-induced swelling, as well as subsequent phase-transition kinetics, of thin films of a diblock copolymer (DBC) loaded with different amounts of the salt NaBr, is investigated in situ. In dilute aqueous solution, the DBC features an orthogonally thermoresponsive behavior. It consists of a zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine) block, namely, poly(4-(N-(3'-methacrylamidopropyl)-N,N-dimethylammonio) butane-1-sulfonate) (PSBP), showing an upper critical solution temperature, and a nonionic block, namely, poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNIPMAM), exhibiting a lower critical solution temperature. The swelling kinetics in D₂O vapor at 15 °C and the phase transition kinetics upon heating the swollen film to 60 °C and cooling back to 15 °C are followed with simultaneous time-of-flight neutron reflectometry and spectral reflectance measurements. These are complemented by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The collapse temperature of PNIPMAM and the swelling temperature of PSBP are found at lower temperatures than in aqueous solution, which is attributed to the high polymer concentration in the thin-film geometry. Upon inclusion of sub-stoichiometric amounts (relative to the monomer units) of NaBr in the films, the water incorporation is significantly increased. This increase is mainly attributed to a salting-in effect on the zwitterionic PSBP block. Whereas the addition of NaBr notably shifts the swelling temperature of PSBP to lower temperatures, the collapse temperature of PNIPMAM remains unaffected by the presence of salt in the films.

Polyzwitterions with LCST Side Chains: Tunable Self-Assembly

Manipulation of self-assembly behavior of copolymers via environmental change is attractive in the fabrication of smart polymeric materials. We present tunable self-assembly behavior of graft copolymers, poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate)-graft-poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)-co-di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] (PSBM-g-P(OEGMA-co-DEGMA)). Upon heating the aqueous solutions, the graft copolymers undergo a transition from micelles with PSBM cores to unimers (i.e., individual macromolecules) and then to reversed micelles with P(OEGMA-co-DEGMA) cores, thus demonstrating the tunability of the self-assembling through temperature change. In the presence of salt the temperature response of PSBM is eliminated, and the structure of the micelles with the P(OEGMA-co-DEGMA) core changes. Moreover, for the graft copolymer with long side chains, micelles with aggregation number ∼ 2 were formed with a PSBM core at low temperature, which is ascribed to the steric effect of the P(OEGMA-co-DEGMA) shell.

Surface-Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization for the Preparation of Well-Defined Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanomaterials

Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) is a powerful tool that allows for the synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials with high potential applications in many disciplines. This review presents synthetic achievements and modifications of nanoparticles via SI-ATRP described in literature last decade. The work mainly focuses on the research development of silica, gold and iron polymer-grafted nanoparticles as well as nature-based materials like nanocellulose. Moreover, typical single examples of nanoparticles modification, i.e., ZnO, are presented. The organic-inorganic hybrid systems received according to the reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) approach with drastically reduced catalyst complex concentration indicate a wide range of applications of materials including biomedicine and microelectronic devices.

pH-Responsive Schizophrenic Diblock Copolymers Prepared by Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly

Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) is used for the highly convenient and efficient preparation of ampholytic diblock copolymer nanoparticles directly in acidic aqueous solution. Cationic nanoparticles comprising a protonated polyamine stabilizer block and a hydrophobic polyacid core-forming block are formed at pH 2. Micelle inversion occurs at pH 10 to produce anionic nanoparticles with an ionized polyacid stabilizer block and a hydrophobic polyamine core-forming block. Macroscopic precipitation occurs at around pH 6-7, which lies close to the isoelectric point of this ampholytic diblock copolymer. Incorporation of fluorescein and rhodamine dye labels into the acid and amine blocks, respectively, leads to dual-color bifluorescent self-reporting pH-responsive nanoparticles.

PAA-g-PLA amphiphilic graft copolymer: synthesis, self-assembly, and drug loading ability

This article reports the synthesis of a PAA-g-PLA amphiphilic polymer by the combination of RAFT polymerization and organocatalytic ROP, which could self-assemble into spheres in aqueous media for sustained release of doxorubicin.

Synthesis of an amphiphilic graft copolymer bearing a hydrophilic poly(acrylate acid) backbone for drug delivery of methotrexate

This article reports the synthesis of a PAA-g-PLA amphiphilic graft polymer, which could self-assemble into large compound micelles in aqueous media for sustained release of MTX.

Synthesis and self-assembly of PMBTFVB-g-PNIPAM fluorine-containing amphiphilic graft copolymer

This article reports the synthesis of an amphiphilic graft copolymer containing a perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) aryl ether-based backbone and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) side chains by a combination of thermal step-growth cycloaddition polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP).

Dual responsive macroemulsion stabilized by Y-shaped amphiphilic AB2 miktoarm star copolymers

Y-shaped amphiphilic PS–(PDMAEMA)₂ miktoarm star copolymers stabilized o/w macroemulsion showed pH-induced demulsification and thermo-induced phase inversion.

PNIPAM-based heteroarm star-graft quarterpolymers: synthesis, characterization and pH-dependent thermoresponsiveness in aqueous media

We report the design of PS_n(P2VP-b-PAA-g-PNIPAM)_n heteroarm star-graft quarterpolymers, the thermoresponsiveness of which is strongly dependent on pH ionic strength, and their macromolecular features, e.g. arm number and grafting density.

Cyclodextrin-tunable reversible self-assembly of a thermoresponsive Y-shaped polymer

The reversible self-assembly behavior of thermoresponsive γ-shaped polymer can be effectively tuned based on the inclusion complexation, intermolecular hydrogen bonding and steric hindrance of β-CD.

Synthesis of a doubly thermo-responsive schizophrenic diblock copolymer based on poly[N-(4-vinylbenzyl)-N,N-diethylamine] and its temperature-sensitive flip-flop micellization

A doubly thermo-responsive schizophrenic diblock copolymer, poly(tert-butyl methacrylate)-block-poly[N-(4-vinylbenzyl)-N,N-diethylamine], was synthesized and its flip-flop micellization was demonstrated.

Mixed, multicompartment, or Janus micelles? A systematic study of thermoresponsive bis-hydrophilic block terpolymers

We present a systematic investigation of the extent of compartmentalization in micelles formed by a series of bis-hydrophilic block terpolymers with two outer water-soluble segments. The corona blocks are constructed from poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and the thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropyl-acrylamide) (PNiPAAm). The fraction of PNiPAAm is varied to establish its influence on the supramicellar aggregation and corona phase behavior. We demonstrate that--when the collapse of PNiPAAm is triggered--a clustering of micelles into superstructures only occurs when the contour length of the thermoresponsive block is longer than that of the PEO chains. The volume fractions play a minor role. The extent of superstructure formation increases with the amount of heating cycles, pointing to a rearrangement of micelles with a mixed corona into a phase-segregated corona. The collapse of PNiPAAm is exploited to artificially raise the incompatibility and drive phase segregation. A uniform population of biphasic Janus micelles cannot be obtained. After repeated heating cycles, the mixture consists of a range of multicompartment architectures, whose patch distribution can be derived from aggregate structures found in cryo-TEM obtained at high temperature. In the last section, we relate our results to previously studied systems and attempt to derive some generalities. First, we try to answer the question of how likely it is in terms of thermodynamics to obtain truly self-assembled Janus micelles. Furthermore, our results can provide an estimation for the volume ratio or/and block lengths required in micelles composed out of two corona blocks to induce supramicellar aggregation when a hydrophilic-to-hydrophobic phase transition is triggered in one of the blocks.