Effect of binary block-selective solvents on self-assembly of ABA triblock copolymer in dilute solution

We have studied the self-assembly of the ABA triblock copolymer (P4VP-b-PS-b-P4VP) in dilute solution by using binary block-selective solvents, that is, water and methanol. The triblock copolymer was first dissolved in dioxane to form a homogeneous solution. Subsequently, a given volume of selective solvent was added slowly to the solution to induce self-assembly of the copolymer. It was found that the copolymer (P4VP(43)-b-PS366-b-P4VP(43)) tended to form spherical aggregate or bilayer structure when we used methanol or water as the single selective solvent, respectively.

Study of controllable aggregation morphology of ABA amphiphilic triblock copolymer in dilute solution by changing the solvent property

We have studied, both experimentally and theoretically, the aggregation morphology of the ABA amphiphilic triblock copolymer in dilute solution by changing the solvent property. Experimental results showed that the micellar morphology changed from spheres to rods and then to vesicles by changing the common solvent from N-N-dimethylformamide (DMF) to dioxane and then to tetrahydrofuran (THF). These controllable aggregates were also obtained by Monte Carlo simulation. The simulative results showed that the solvent property is a key factor that determines the copolymer aggregation morphology. The morphology changed from spheres to rods and then to vesicles by increasing the solvent solubility, corresponding to the change of stretched of the copolymer chains in the micellar cores. This result is in good agreement with the experimental one. Moreover, the simulative results revealed that the end-to-end distant of the ABA triblock copolymer in the vesicle was larger than that in the spheres and rods, indicating that the copolymer chains were more stretched in vesicles than in the spheres and rods. Furthermore, we gave the distribution of the fraction of the chain number with the end-to-end distance. The results indicated that the amount of folded chains is almost the same as that of stretched chains in the vesicle. Although most chains were folded, stretched chains could be found in the rod and sphere micelles.

Effects of chain flexibility on polymer conformation in dilute solution studied by lattice Monte Carlo simulation

Effects of chain flexibility on the conformation of homopolymers in good solvents have been investigated by Monte Carlo simulation. Bond angle constraint coupled with persistence length of polymer chains has been introduced in the modified eight-site bond fluctuation simulation model. The study about the effects of chain flexibility on polymer sizes reveals that the orientation of polymer chains under confinement is driven by the loss of conformation entropy. The conformation of polymer chains undergoing a gradual change from spherical iso-diametric ellipsoid to rodlike iso-diametric ellipsoid with the decrease of polymer chain flexibility in a wide region has been clearly illustrated from several aspects. Furthermore, a comparison of the freely jointed chain (FJC) model and the wormlike chain (WLC) model has also been made to describe the polymer sizes in terms of chain flexibility and quasi-quantitative boundary toward the suitability of the models.

Morphology and structure of nylon-2,14 single crystals from dilute solution

A perfect single crystal of nylon-2,14 was prepared from 0.02% (w/v) 1,4-butanediol solution by a "self-seeding" technique and isothermal crystallization at 120 and 145 degreesC. The morphology and structure features were examined by transmission electron microscopy with both image and diffraction modes, atomic force microscopy, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). The nylon-2,14 single crystal grown from 1,4-butanediol at 145 degreesC inhabited a lathlike shape with a lamellar thickness of about 9 nm. Electron diffraction and WAXD data indicated that nylon-2,14 crystallized in a triclinic system with lattice dimensions a = 0.49 nm, b = 0.51 nm, c = 2.23 nm, alpha = 60.4degrees, beta = 77degrees, and gamma = 59degrees. The crystal structure is different from that of nylon-6,6 but similar to that of other members of nylon-2Y.

Morphology and structure of poly(aryl ether ketone ketone) containing isophthaloyl moieties crystallized from dilute solution

Spherulites and lamellar single crystals of poly(aryl ether ketone ketone) containing isophthaloyl moieties (PEKK(I)) were obtained from dilute alpha-chloronaphthalene solution. The morphology and structure of the spherulites and single crystals were studied by electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The spherulites were found to consist of elongated lamellar branches that grow with the b crystallographic axis in the radial direction. Single crystals possess a similar habit, with b parallel to the long axis, a transverse, and c perpendicular to the lamellae plane. High-resolution images of the PEKK(I) crystals which show the perfection of and defects in the crystals, were obtained, and many defects or dislocations a,ere observed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Local chain motions in a dilute solution of phenolphthalein poly(ether sulfone)

C-13 and H-1 relaxation times were measured as a function of temperature in two magnetic fields for dilute solutions of phenolphthalein poly(ether sulfone) (PES-C) in deuterated chloroform. The spin-lattice relaxation times were interpreted in terms of segmental motion characterized by the sharp cutoff model of Jones and Stockmayer (J. S. model). The phenyl group rotation is treated as a stochastic diffusion by the J. S. model. The restricted butterfly motion of the phenyl group attached to the cardo ring in PES-C is mentioned but is not discussed in detail in this work. Correlation times for the segmental motion are in the picosecond range which indicates the high flexibility of PES-C chains. The correlation time for the phenyl group internal rotation is similar to that of the segmental motion. The temperature dependence of these motions is weak. The apparent activation energy of the motions considered is less than 10 kJ/mol. The simulating results for PES are also reasonable considering the differences in structure compared with PES-C. The correlation times and the apparent activation energy obtained using the J. S. model for the main chain motion of PES-C are the same as those obtained using the damped orientational diffusion model and the conformational jump model.

COMPARISON OF THE BEHAVIOR OF CYCLIC AND LINEAR POLYSTYRENE IN DILUTE-SOLUTION

Using a low angle laser light scattering photometer, the second virial coefficients (A2) of both cyclic and linear polystyrene were determined in cyclohexane, toluene and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) solutions. From the data obtained in cyclohexane solution the theta-temperature of cyclic polystyrene was determined to be 30-degrees-C. In toluene solution A2 of cyclic polystyrene is smaller than that of linear polystyrene with the same molecular weight, but in MEK the values are similar.

DILUTE SOLUTION PROPERTIES OF RING-SHAPED POLYSTYRENE II. THE SECOND VIRIAL COEFFICIENTS

Using a low angle laser light scattering photometer (LALLS) the second virial coefficients(A_2) of ring-shaped and linear polystyrene (RPS and LPS) samples were determined in both toluene and butanone solutions. The A_2 of RPS in the good solvent (toluene) is smaller than that of LPS with the same molecular weight, but in the poor solvent (butanone) these two are very close. For RPS in the molecular weight range of 4×10~4——2.2×10~5, we haveA_(2r)=1.28×10~(-2)M_w~(-0.283) (Toluene 25℃) and A_(2r)=5.06×10~(-2...

Hybridization of poly(4-vinyl pyridine)-b-polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinyl pyridine) aggregates in dioxane/water solution

Self-assembly of binary blends of two triblock copolymers of poly(4-vinyl pyridine)-b-polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinyl pyridine), i.e., P4VP(43)-b-PS260-b-P4VP(43) (P1) and P4VP(43)-b-PS366-b-P4VP(43) (P2), in dioxane/water solution was studied. These two triblock copolymers individually tend to form vesicles (P2) and cylindrical micelles (P1) in dilute solution. It was found that copolymer components in the blend, sample preparation method, and annealing time had significant effect on hybridization aggregate morphology. By increasing P1 content in the copolymer blends, fraction of looped and stretched cylinders increased, while fraction of bilayers decreased. Nearly no bilayer was observed when P1 content was above 85 wt%.

Lamellar single crystals of nylon-10,10 crown from a dimethylformamide solution

A new solvent, dimethylformamide (DMF), and the traditional solvent, 1,4-butanediol, were used to prepare single crystals of nylon-10,10 from a dilute solution. The lamellae grown from DMF inhabited a more perfect structure and regular shape than those crystals crystallized from traditional solvents such as 1,4-butanediol and glycerin. These thin and perfect lamellar crystals demonstrated patterns of variation in spacing different from those of melt-crystallized spherulites on heating. Specifically, the two main spacings slightly separated rather than continuously approaching each other when the temperature was greater than 180 degreesC. This is a novel phenomenon observed in nylons. Nevertheless, the usual pattern of change in spacing was observed during the cooling process. These lamellar crystals showed more compact spacing of the (002) and (010/100) planes than spherulites at room temperature. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A DYNAMIC LASER LIGHT-SCATTERING STUDY OF CHITOSAN IN AQUEOUS-SOLUTION

The solution behavior of four chitosans (91% deacetylated chitin) with different molecular weights in 0.2M CH3COOH/0.1M CH3COONa aqueous solution was investigated at 25 degrees C by dynamic laser light scattering (LLS). The Laplace inversion of the precisely measured intensity-intensity time correlation function leads us to an estimate of the line-width distribution G(Gamma), which could be further reduced to a translational diffusion coefficient distribution G(D). By using a combination of static and dynamic LLS results, i.e. Mw and G(D), we were able to establish a calibration of D = k(D)M(-alpha D) with k(D) = (3.14 +/- 0.20) X 10(-4) and alpha(D) = 0.655 +/- 0.015. By using this calibration, we successfully converted G(D) into a molecular weight distribution f(w)(M). The larger alpha(D) value confirms that the chitosan chain is slightly extended in aqueous solution even in the presence of salts. This is mainly due to its backbone and polyelectrolytes nature. As a very sensitive technique, our dynamic LLS results also revealed that even in dilute solution chitosan still forms a small amount of larger sized aggregates that have ben overlooked in previous studies. The calibration obtained in this study will provide another way to characterize the molecular weight distribution of chitosan in aqueous solution at room temperature. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

两亲性三嵌段共聚物在选择性稀溶液中的自组装及应用

本论文主要研究了ABA和ABC型两亲性三嵌段共聚物在选择性稀溶液中的自组装行为，得到了多种形态新颖、结构复杂多样的胶束，研究了这些复杂胶束的形成过程，探讨了影响胶束形态的各种因素并通过适当的方法对胶束形态进行调控。研究了聚乙烯基毗陡（P4VP）／聚苯乙烯（PS）三嵌段共聚物P4VP-b-PS-b-P4VP在二氧六环／水中的自组装行为，成功得到了嵌段共聚物环状胶束，并通过实验研究了环状胶束的形成过程。结果表明，胶束形态依赖于退火时间的长短。随着退火时间的延长，胶束结构从棒状过渡到环形结构。以实验结果为基础提出了环状胶束形成的新的机理，即囊泡塌陷形成环。同时，通过改变实验条件还得到了一些新型的环状复合结构，如环套环形、鸟状、哑铃形、戒指形、网络状等结构，并得到了与计算机模拟一致的结果。通过不同的方法对ABA型三嵌段共聚物（P4VP-b-PS-b-P4VP）在选择性溶液中的自组装胶束形态进行调控：首先，详细研究了P4VP-b-PS-b-P4VP在不同的共溶剂中的自组装行为。结果表明通过单纯改变共溶剂的性质可以很方便地调节胶束的形态，得到了球、棒、囊泡等结构。并用混合溶剂的方法得到了长度和直径可控的纳米线胶束。同时，通过加入第二种选择性溶剂（核层嵌段PS的选择性溶剂甲苯）的方法使形成胶束的核层嵌段在胶核中的伸展程度增加，从而使胶束形态发生转变。其次，研究了加入表面活性剂十五烷基苯酚（PDP）以构建分子间氢键来调节P4VP-b-PS-b-P4VP的胶束形态。结果表明，通过调节PDP的加入量可以使胶束形态发生从球到棒，到网络状、再到囊泡结构的转变。通过实验对比系统地研究了PDP的加入对胶束形态转变的影响，提出了相应的形态转变机理。再次，研究了不同分子量的嵌段共聚物之间共混及共聚物与均聚物共混对胶束形态的影响。结果表明加入亲油嵌段的均聚物对共聚物胶束形态影响非常明显，胶束形态与加入的均聚物的分子量及加入量直接相关。同时得到了一些新形态的胶束，如海绵状、笼子状等。共聚物共混的研究结果表明：通过两种不同分子量的共聚物共混可以得到这两种共聚物胶束的过渡态结构。用共聚物混合的方法还可以得到一些具有生物模拟性的胶束结构，如乌贼状、章鱼状等。这加深了人们对囊泡的形成机理及各种胶束形态之间形态转变的认识。P4VP-b-PS-b-P4VP通过在二氧六环／水中的自组装形成了囊泡，结果表明囊泡的尺寸依赖于初始状态下共聚物在共溶剂中的浓度及退火时间。除得到常规的球形囊泡外，还得到一些非球形囊泡，如长条形、三角形、项链形等囊泡结构。结合计算机模拟的方法研究了囊泡的形成机理，发现这些不同结构的囊泡的形成是由于初始状态下密度涨落所引起的。研究了实验中经常出现的各种胶束形态共存现象的原因，发现体系中亚稳态的存在是多形态共存的重要原因之一。通过聚苯乙烯一左聚乙烯基毗睫一左聚氧乙烯（PS一b一PZVP一b一PEO）在THF／水中的二次自组装首次得到了一种具有生物模拟性的巨大的节状蠕虫胶束（SWM）。研究发现，SWM是由重复单元盘状结构和丝状结构相连组成的。最令人吃惊的是这种SWM与自然界中的一些生命体如蛆叫、蛹、昆虫类的幼虫结构非常相似。通过对SWM形成过程中的中间态胶束结构的深入研究发现SWM是由球形胶束通过二次自组装形成的。SWM的形成过程可以分为三个阶段：ABC三嵌段共聚物先组装形成球形结构；这些球型结构粘连在一起形成梭形的中间结构；这些梭状中间结构中的球经过重组和重新调整各嵌段的排布最终形成SWM。用所得到的嵌段共聚物胶束为模板，采用无电沉积的方法成功制备了各种形态的金属一有机高分子纳米复合材料。用简单的方法还得到了导电金属金一银的双金属纳米结构材料。这些纳米结构材料在微电子器件等领域有潜在应用价值。以上研究结果丰富了人们对嵌段共聚物在选择性介质中自组装行为的理解，为人们提供了对生物材料自组装本质的理解的依据。这在两亲性分子在溶液中自组装的基础研究方面以及基于这些自组装形态而构建结构及功能更复杂的纳米结构材料等方面都有一定的意义。

The further understanding of chain topology effect on the properties of single polymer in good solvent: Special behaviors of single tadpole chain

Chain topology strongly affects the static and dynamic properties of polymer melts and polymers in dilute solution. For different chain architectures, such as ring and linear polymers, the molecular size and the diffusion behavior are different. To further understand the chain topology effect on the static and dynamic properties of polymers, we focus on the tadpole polymer which consists of a cyclic chain attached with one or more linear tails. It is found that both the number and the length of linear tails play important roles on the properties of the tadpole polymers in dilute solution. For the tadpole polymers with fixed linear tail length and number, with increasing the degree of polymerization of tadpole polymers, a transition from linear-like to ring-like behavior is observed for both the static and dynamic properties.