Cyclodextrin-Induced Suppression of the Crystallization of Low-Molar-Mass Poly(ethylene glycol).

ABSTRACT: We examine the effect of alpha-cyclodextrin (αCD) on the crystallization of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) [poly(ethylene oxide), PEO] in low-molar-mass polymers, with M _w = 1000, 3000, or 6000 g mol^-1. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and simultaneous synchrotron small-/wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) show that crystallization of PEG is suppressed by αCD, provided that the cyclodextrin content is sufficient. The PEG crystal structure is replaced by a hexagonal mesophase of αCD-threaded polymer chains. The αCD threading reduces the conformational flexibility of PEG and, hence, suppresses crystallization. These findings point to the use of cyclodextrin additives as a powerful means to tune the crystallization of PEG (PEO), which, in turn, will impact

SUBMITTER: Hamley IW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11328327 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature