Exploring the Upper Size Limit for Sterically Stabilized Diblock Copolymer Nanoparticles Prepared by Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly in Non-Polar Media.

ABSTRACT: Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerization of benzyl methacrylate is used to prepare a series of well-defined poly(stearyl methacrylate)-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PSMA-PBzMA) diblock copolymer nanoparticles in mineral oil at 90 °C. A relatively long PSMA₅₄ precursor acts as a steric stabilizer block and also ensures that only kinetically trapped spheres are obtained, regardless of the target degree of polymerization (DP) for the core-forming PBzMA block. This polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) formulation provides good control over the particle size distribution over a wide size range (24-459 nm diameter). ¹H NMR spectroscopy studies confirm that high monomer conversions (≥96%) are obtained for all PISA syntheses while

SUBMITTER: Parker BR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7161081 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature