Unraveling an Alternative Mechanism in Polymer Self-Assemblies: An Order-Order Transition with Unusual Molecular Interactions between Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Polymer Blocks.

ABSTRACT: Polymer self-assembly leading to cooling-induced hydrogel formation is relatively rare for synthetic polymers and typically relies on H-bonding between repeat units. Here, we describe a non-H-bonding mechanism for a cooling-induced reversible order-order (sphere-to-worm) transition and related thermogelation of solutions of polymer self-assemblies. A multitude of complementary analytical tools allowed us to reveal that a significant fraction of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic repeat units of the underlying block copolymer is in close proximity in the gel state. This unusual interaction between hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks reduces the mobility of the hydrophilic block significantly by condensing the hydrophilic block onto the hydrophobic micelle core, thereby affecting the micelle pac

SUBMITTER: Hahn L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10100562 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature