Entropy-Driven Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation Transition to Polymeric Micelles.

ABSTRACT: In recent years, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) has been recognized to act as a precursor to self-assembly in amphiphilic systems. In this study, we propose the use of entropy-driven LLPS to obtain a tunable precursor for polymeric micelle formation. In this new approach, an oligomer is utilized as a nonselective solvent for the block copolymer, allowing for the tuning of entropy and subsequent LLPS. A comprehensive model was developed using mean-field lattice theory to predict the conditions under which LLPS and micellization occur. The degree of polymerization of the solvent was found to have a significant impact on the phase behavior of the system, outweighing enthalpic contributions such as the interaction between the blocks of the copolymer and the solvent. Our model predicts t

SUBMITTER: Rasoulianboroujeni M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10544716 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature