Solvent Responsive Micelles Based on Block and Gradient Copoly(2-oxazoline)s

Abstract

The solvent responsiveness of block and gradient copoly(2-oxazoline) in binary water-ethanol mixtures to adderss the effect of monomer distribution was investigated. The formation of complex self-assembly structures, including toroids and Y-junctions, from a simple amphiphilic statistical copolymer in binary water-ethanol solvent mixtures, was also demonstrated. The microscopic images of the micelles resulting from the self-assembly shows that the self-assembly of the copolymer with ethanol results in the formation of both spherical micelles and wormlike micelles. The formation of toroids by the self-assembly of nonionic quasi-diblock statistical copolymer resembles the architecture of triblock copolymer. The results also show that the morphologies observed for the dried samples resemble the structures present in the copolymer solution, demonstrating that they are not formed by drying effect