Synthesis and Aggregation Behaviors of Well‐Defined Thermoresponsive Pentablock Terpolymers With Tunable LCST |
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| Authors: | Yufeng Wu Xingli Liu Yu Wang Zanru Guo Yujun Feng |
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| Institution: | 1. Chengdu Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China;2. Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, People's Republic of China;3. College of Chemistry & Environment Protection Engineering, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu, People's Republic of China |
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| Abstract: | A series of thermoresponsive pentablock terpolymers, poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(propylene oxide)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide), is prepared by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The effect of NIPAM and PPO block lengths on lower critical solution temperature (LCST), critical micelle concentration (cmc), and aggregation number (Nagg) is investigated via UV–Vis spectroscopy and steady‐state fluorescence spectroscopy. The results show that upon increasing the block lengths, LCST and cmc decrease, while Nagg increases. TEM observation shows that associated spherical‐like particles are evidenced below the LCST of the terpolymers, and regular or irregular spherical micelles or even intermicellar aggregates are observed above the LCST. |
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| Keywords: | aggregation behaviors pentablock terpolymers reversible addition– fragmentation chain transfer self‐assembly thermoresponsive |
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