Simultaneous polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) and guest molecule encapsulation

Bunyamin Karagoz, Cyrille Boyer*, Thomas P. Davis

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

86 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Nanoparticles with various morphologies such as micelles, worm-like/rod-like and spherical vesicles are made using a polymerization- induced self-assembly (PISA) approach via a one-pot RAFT dispersion polymerization. On polymerization/self-assembly, we report a concurrent highly efficient loading of guest molecules within the nanoparticle structures. Different nanoparticle morphologies, such as spherical micelles, worm-like, rod-like, and spherical vesicles, are achieved by gradually increasing the number-average degree of polymerization (DPn) of the PST block via increasing polymerization times (in a poor solvent) as determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. In parallel, a guest molecule (Nile Red) is encapsulated during the polymerization without disturbing the morphology or the polymerization kinetics. A simultaneous encapsulation and self-assembly approach is described in this paper using a polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) approach via a one-pot RAFT dispersion polymerization. Nanoparticles with various morphologies such as spherical micelles, worm-like/rod-like and spherical vesicles are prepared.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)417-421
Number of pages5
JournalMacromolecular Rapid Communications
Volume35
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2014

Funding

FundersFunder number
Australian Research CouncilFT-120100096

    Keywords

    • dispersion polymerization
    • encapsulation
    • living radical polymerization
    • morphologies
    • nanoparticles
    • reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)

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