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Controlling Internal Pore Sizes in Bicontinuous Polymeric Nanospheres

McKenzie, Beulah E., Friedrich, Heiner, Wirix, Maarten J. M., de Visser, Joël F., Monaghan, Olivia R., Bomans, Paul H. H., Nudelman, Fabio, Holder, Simon J., Sommerdijk, Nico A. J. M. (2015) Controlling Internal Pore Sizes in Bicontinuous Polymeric Nanospheres. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 54 (8). pp. 2457-2461. ISSN 1433-7851. (doi:10.1002/anie.201408811) (KAR id:50605)

Abstract

Complex polymeric nanospheres were formed in water from comb-like amphiphilic block copolymers. Their internal morphology was determined by three-dimensional cryo-electron tomographic analysis. Varying the polymer molecular weight (MW) and the hydrophilic block weight content allowed for fine control over the internal structure. Construction of a partial phase diagram allowed us to determine the criteria for the formation of bicontinuous polymer nanosphere (BPN), namely for copolymers with MW of up to 17?kDa and hydrophilic weight fractions of ?0.25; and varying the organic solvent to water ratio used in their preparation allowed for control over nanosphere diameters from 70 to 460?nm. Significantly, altering the block copolymer hydrophilic–hydrophobic balance enabled control of the internal pore diameter of the BPNs from 10 to 19?nm.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1002/anie.201408811
Uncontrolled keywords: bicontinuous nanospheres;block copolymers;cryo-electron tomography;morphology;self-assembly
Subjects: Q Science
Q Science > QD Chemistry
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User: Simon Holder
Date Deposited: 24 Sep 2015 10:11 UTC
Last Modified: 10 Dec 2022 04:08 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/50605 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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