Poly(2‐vinylpyridine)‐block ‐Poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) Single Crystals in Micellar Solution

Abstract

Self-assembly of poly(2-vinylpyridine)-block-poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (P2VP-b-PCL) diblock copolymer in the presence of a selective solvent is investigated by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Addition of water into a P2VP-b-PCL solution in N,N-dimethylformamide at 20 °C produces elongated truncated lozenge shaped single crystals of uniform size and shape in large quantities. The single crystals are composed of PCL single-crystal layer sandwiched between two P2VP layers tethered on the top and bottom basal surfaces. The formation of the single crystals is found to depend on the temperature. These findings provide a facile approach to the preparation of uniform single crystals in large quantities.

Bamboo Leaf-Like Micro-Nano Sheets Self-Assembled by Block Copolymers as Wafers for Cells

“…Recently, we prepared poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)‐ b ‐poly[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] crystalline platelets by using crystallization‐driven self‐assembly method, which was easy to be operated . Coincidently, Su et al reported a similar morphology of poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)‐ b ‐poly(2‐vinylpyridine) single crystals very recently, indicating it was a general way to prepare quasi two‐dimensional polymer sheets.…”

Crystallization-driven one-dimensional self-assembly of polyethylene-b-poly(tert-butylacrylate) diblock copolymers in DMF: effects of crystallization temperature and the corona-forming block

“…Recently, BCP micelles with a crystalline core-forming block, such as polyferrocenyldimethylsilane (PFDMS), [1][2][3][4] polyethylene (PE), [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), [13][14][15][16] poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL), [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), [25][26][27][28][29] polyacrylonitrile (PAN), 30 poly( p-dioxanone), 31,32 and polythiophene, 33,34 have received considerable attention. Recently, BCP micelles with a crystalline core-forming block, such as polyferrocenyldimethylsilane (PFDMS), [1][2][3][4] polyethylene (PE), [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), [13][14]…”

Semi-crystalline polymethylene-b-poly(acrylic acid) diblock copolymers: aggregation behavior, confined crystallization and controlled growth of semicrystalline micelles from dilute DMF solution

“…16,17 Previous investigations into crystalline BCPs have found that when they are cooled from a high temperature (usually close to the melting temperature of the crystalline block) in coil-selective solution, BCPs are inclined to crystallize and form disk-like crystalline micelles with semi-crystalline chains folding to form the core and the chemically tethered amorphous block swells as the corona. [29][30][31] However, to the best of our knowledge, the acquisition of single crystals in semi-crystalline BCPs is seldom reported. 24 Except for the disk-like or platelet crystalline micelles, other types of architectures, such as spheres, rods, or worm-like nanostructures, and the use of different manipulation techniques, e.g., adjusting block composition, temperature and solution pH value, have also been investigated.…”

“…This aggregate structure was predicted with the scale law put forward by Vilgis et al 18 and has been widely observed in semi-crystalline BCPs that contain a crystallizable block-like polyethylene (PE), [19][20][21][22] poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) 23 and poly(3-caprolactone) (PCL). 30 Moreover, the aggregation behavior for crystallinecontaining BCPs micelles in dilute solution, in particular the controlling methods are not well established. [25][26][27][28] In addition, some research has been focused on the controlled growth of crystalline micelles by regulating the crystallization process to achieve crystal plates or single crystals.…”