Polystyrene-<i>b</i><i>lock</i>-poly(2-cinnamoylethyl methacrylate) Nanospheres with Cross-Linked Shells

Abstract

Polystyrene-block-poly(2-cinnamoylethyl methacrylate), PS-b-PCEMA, forms spherical micelles with PCEMA corona and PS core in THF/acetonitrile with 10%, by volume, of THF. Nanospheres with cross-linked PCEMA shells are obtained by photolyzing the sample with UV light. Despite the PCEMA corona, the degree of intermicellar fusion is low at CEMA conversions less than ∼40%. The nanospheres, with greater than ∼10% CEMA conversions, are dispersible and structurally stable in THF or toluene which solubilizes both PS and un-cross-linked PCEMA.