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Synthesis and Self-Assembly Behavior of Organic–Inorganic Poly(ethylene oxide)-block-Poly(MA POSS)-block-Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Triblock Copolymers

  1. Yaochen Zheng,
  2. Lei Wang,
  3. Rentong Yu,
  4. Sixun Zheng*

Article first published online: 6 FEB 2012

DOI: 10.1002/macp.201100506

Issue

Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics

Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics

Volume 213, Issue 4, pages 458–469, February 27, 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Zheng, Y., Wang, L., Yu, R. and Zheng, S. (2012), Synthesis and Self-Assembly Behavior of Organic–Inorganic Poly(ethylene oxide)-block-Poly(MA POSS)-block-Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Triblock Copolymers. Macromol. Chem. Phys., 213: 458–469. doi: 10.1002/macp.201100506

Author Information

  1. Department of Polymer Science and Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China

*Department of Polymer Science and Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 15 FEB 2012
  2. Article first published online: 6 FEB 2012
  3. Manuscript Revised: 30 NOV 2011
  4. Manuscript Received: 8 SEP 2011

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Keywords:

  • POSS;
  • PNIPAAm;
  • PEO;
  • triblock copolymer;
  • ATRP and self-assembly

Abstract

In this work, the synthesis of 3-methacryloxypropylheptaphenyl POSS, a new POSS macromer (denoted MA-POSS) is reported. The POSS macromer is used to synthesize PEO-b-P(MA-POSS)-b-PNIPAAm triblock copolymers via sequential atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The organic-inorganic, amphiphilic and thermoresponsive ABC triblock copolymers are characterized by means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) show that the hybrid ABC triblock copolymers are microphase-separated in bulk. Cloud point measurements show that the effect of the hydrophiphilic block (i.e. PEO) on the LCSTs is more pronounced than the hydrophobic block (i.e. P(MA-POSS)). Both transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) show that all the triblock copolymers can be self-organized into micellar aggregates in aqueous solutions. The sizes of the micellar aggregates can be modulated by changing the temperature. The temperature-tunable self-assembly behavior is interpreted using a combination of the highly hydrophobicity of P(MA-POSS), the water-solubility of PEO and the thermoresponsive property of PNIPAAm in the triblock copolymers.

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