In situ small-angle X-ray scattering studies of sterically-stabilized diblock copolymer nanoparticles formed during polymerization-induced self-assembly in non-polar media.

ABSTRACT: Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerization of benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) is utilized to prepare a series of poly(stearyl methacrylate)-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PSMA-PBzMA) diblock copolymer nano-objects at 90 °C directly in mineral oil. Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) occurs under these conditions, with the resulting nanoparticles exhibiting spherical, worm-like or vesicular morphologies when using a relatively short PSMA₁₃ macromolecular chain transfer agent (macro-CTA), as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies. Only kinetically-trapped spherical nanoparticles are obtained when using longer macro-CTAs (e.g. PSMA₁₈ or PSMA₃₁), with highe

SUBMITTER: Derry MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6018718 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature