Microphase Separation and Gelation through Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly Using Star Polyethylene Glycols.

ABSTRACT: Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) during the synthesis of diblock copolymers has garnered considerable interest; however, architectures beyond diblock copolymers have scarcely been explored. Here, we studied PISA using 4- and 8-arm star polyethylene glycol (PEG), as well as 2-arm (linear) PEG, wherein each terminus of PEG was functionalized with a chain-transfer agent, holding a constant molar mass for each arm. Styrene was polymerized from each PEG terminus through reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization in an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [BMIM][PF₆]), with a total solute concentration of 40 wt %. While the styrene monomer is soluble in [BMIM][PF₆], polystyrene is not; thus, self-assembly and

SUBMITTER: Yamanaka R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11340017 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature