Characterization of the core of polystyrene block poly(methyl methacrylate) polymer micelles by energy transfer

Abstract

Nonradiative direct energy transfer has been used to investigate the core-corona interface of block copolymer micelles. Experiments were carried on mixtures of three otherwise identical polystyrene-poly(methyl methacrylate) block copolymer samples differing only in the substituent attached to the block junction. These polymers form spherical micelles (R H = 18.5 nm) in a dioxane/methanol mixture. Two limiting models both indicate that the interface betwwen the core and the corona is diffuse