DWI an der RWTH Aachen e.V. and Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 8, D‐52056 Aachen, Germany
Abstract:
The di‐ and triblock copolymers, P(MAA)‐b‐P(MMA), P(MAA)‐b‐P(BMA), P(MAA)‐b‐P(MAA‐co‐MMA)‐b‐P(MMA) and P(MAA)‐b‐P(MAA‐co‐BMA)‐b‐P(BMA), were synthesised via ATRP in order to study the association behaviour in water via polyelectrolyte titration, fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and scanning force microscopy. P(BMA) block copolymers spontaneously self‐associate into micelles whereas for P(MMA) block copolymers addition of salt is necessary to induce aggregation. Principally, the hydrodynamic radius of the micelles decreases from di‐ to triblock copolymer which was attributed to a different conformation of the random middle block at the core/corona interface.