Abstract
AbstractA new supramolecular self‐assembly approach to construct micelles and reverse micelles was reported. Double‐hydrophilic block copolymers poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PEO‐b‐PNIPAAm) was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using PEO macroinitiator. Because of the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase behavior of PNIPAAm, PEO‐b‐PNIPAAm block copolymers self‐assembled to form PNIPAAm‐core micelles at 40°C. The PNIPAAm‐core micelles were disassembled to unimers when the temperature was decreased to 25°C. But the addition of α‐cyclodextrins (α‐CDs) could induce the formation of PNIPAAm‐shell micelles because of the "channel‐type" crystallities induced by PEO/α‐CDs polyrotaxanes. The assembly and disassembly procedure of micelles and reverse micelles were investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), 1H NMR and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
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