Mechanically Driven Reorganization of Thermoresponsive DiMock Copolymer Assemblies In Water

摘要

Thermoresponsive amphiphilic diblock copolymers self-assemble into micelles consisting of three-dimensional spheres, cylinders, and bilayer structures capable of responsive change in shape and hydrophobicity. Therefore, these polymers are potentially useful in drug and vaccine delivery, tissue engineering, nanoreactors, and rheology modifiers. Current methods to form these 3D structures require incorporation of thermoresponsive polymer segments into di- or triblock copolymers. At temperatures below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the thermoresponsive segment the block polymer is water-soluble. Upon raising the temperature above the LCST, the block polymer assembles into a variety of 3D structures. This process is fully reversible unless the polymer is crosslinked above the LCST.