Self-organization of amphiphilic polymers

Abstract

Even a cursory analysis of the chemical structure of the large majority of synthetic and natural polymers shows that their monomer units have a dualistic character, that is, they possess a pronounced amphiphilicity. In many cases, this feature has a significant impact on polymer self-assembly. In this mini-review, we discuss some examples illustrating nonconventional forms of self-organization which were recently predicted by computer simulation for simple models of amphiphilic polymers.

Possible ways of nanostructure development in soil gels

“…It should be noted that this approach considered the humic gel as some homogeneous substance: an organic matrix containing mineral particles. However, these model concepts contradicted the recent data on the behavior of polymer systems [21,41,42,44,45] and required refinement.…”

Two-state nanocomposite based on symmetric diblock copolymer and planar nanoparticles: mesoscopic simulation

“…Materials based on AB block copolymers are examples of relatively simple systems capable of forming a variety of supramolecular arrangements. 4,18 These polymers are macromolecules composed of chemically bonded alternating linear homooligomeric blocks, each formed by a monomer of its type, designated A and B. The difference in chemical nature of the comonomers, a chain length (N), a block length ratio ( f ), and some external factors (i.e.…”

Assembly of Short-Chain Amphiphilic Homopolymers into Well-Defined Particles

“…The assembly of linear polymers equipped with functional groups into nanoscale morphologies has played an important role in many emerging technological applications, including microreactors, environmental toxin sequesters, and drug-delivery vehicles. − In such assembly processes, properly designed amphiphilic diblock and triblock copolymers have often shown controlled structural changes into micelles, vesicles, rods, tubes, disks, cylinders, and spherical particles. ,− These assemblies are generally driven by the mutual immiscibility of the polymer blocks and the immiscibility of one of the blocks in a solvent or solvent mixture. ,,− As such, both the size and morphology of the assemblies in the solution, in the bulk, or at the interfaces are controlled by the molecular weight (MW) of the linear polymers, the relative block length of the hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic groups, and the chemical/physical nature of the repeating monomeric units. ,− For instance, linear amphiphilic block copolymers consisting of polar and nonpolar long-chain groups predictably undergo the formation of spherical micelles or particles upon exposure to the appropriate solvent media due to the macromolecular amphiphilicity, primarily causing the solvophobically induced arrangement. ,− However, these assembly processes often require the precise control of specific mutual solvents with respect to the amphiphilicity degree of the polymers to induce intra- and intermolecular forces, followed by multiple purification steps, including solvent-exchange and dialysis.…”