Synthesis and pH-responsive dissociation of framboidal ABC triblock copolymer vesicles in aqueous solution

Abstract

A series of pH-responsive all-methacrylic ABC triblock copolymer vesicles were prepared from precursor diblock copolymer vesicles via RAFT seeded emulsion polymerisation. Microphase separation between the two hydrophobic membrane-forming B and C blocks produced a distinctive framboidal morphology, for which the mean globule size can be tuned by adjusting the triblock copolymer composition. These vesicles remain intact at neutral pH, but undergo irreversible dissociation on addition of acid as a result of protonation of the tertiary amine groups located within the third block. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was utilised to characterise the morphologies formed at pH 8 and pH 3. According to time-resolved SAXS studies, the acid-induced dissociation of these pH-responsive framboidal vesicles involves appreciable membrane swelling within 50 ms and is complete.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/c7sc04788f
Divisions: College of Engineering & Physical Sciences
College of Engineering & Physical Sciences > School of Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering > Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry
College of Engineering & Physical Sciences > Aston Polymer Research Group
Additional Information: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.
Publication ISSN: 2041-6539
Last Modified: 30 Sep 2024 12:19
Date Deposited: 07 Jan 2020 14:19
Full Text Link: http://www.scop ... tnerID=MN8TOARS
Related URLs: https://pubs.rs ... 8F#!divAbstract (Publisher URL)
PURE Output Type: Article
Published Date: 2018-12
Published Online Date: 2017-12-13
Accepted Date: 2017-12-12
Authors: Mable, C. J.
Fielding, L. A.
Derry, M. J. (ORCID Profile 0000-0001-5010-6725)
Mykhaylyk, O. O.
Chambon, P.
Armes, S. P.

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