A Schizophrenic Water-Soluble Diblock Copolymer We thank EPSRC for a post-doctoral fellowship for S.Y.L. (GR/N17409). Dr. P. McKenna of Laporte Performance Chemicals, Hythe (UK), is thanked for the gift of the monohydroxy-capped PPO. The reviewers are thanked for their helpful and constructive comments.

Abstract

Two micellar states are possible for a novel PPO-PDEA diblock copolymer synthesized by atom-transfer radical polymerization. Subtle variation of the solution pH value and temperature is all that is needed to form both conventional micelles (with the PDEA block in the core) and reverse micelles (with the PPO block in the core) in aqueous media (shown schematically). DEA=2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate, PO=propylene oxide.