Issue 41, 2022

High-χ, low-N micelles from partially perfluorinated block polymers

Abstract

Kinetically trapped (“persistent”) micelles enable emerging applications requiring a constant core diameter. Preserving a χN barrier to chain exchange with low-N requires a commensurately higher χcore–solvent for micelle persistence. Low-N, high-χ micelles containing fluorophobic interactions were studied using poly(ethylene oxide-b-perfluorooctyl acrylate)s (O45FX, x = 8, 11) in methanolic solutions. DLS analysis of micelles revealed chain exchange only for O45F8 while SAXS analysis suggested elongated core block conformations commensurate with the contour lengths. Micelle chain exchange from solution perturbations were examined by characterizing their behavior as templates for inorganic materials via SAXS and SEM. In contrast to the F8 analog, the larger χN barrier for the O45F11 enabled persistent micelle behavior in both thin films and bulk samples despite the low Tg micelle core. Careful measures of micelle core diameters and pore sizes revealed that the nanoparticle distribution extended through the corona and 0.52 ± 0.15 nm into the core–corona interface, highlighting thermodynamics favoring both locations simultaneously.

Graphical abstract: High-χ, low-N micelles from partially perfluorinated block polymers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 apr 2022
Accepted
12 avq 2022
First published
16 avq 2022

Soft Matter, 2022,18, 7917-7930

Author version available

High-χ, low-N micelles from partially perfluorinated block polymers

E. R. Williams, W. van den Bergh and M. Stefik, Soft Matter, 2022, 18, 7917 DOI: 10.1039/D2SM00513A

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