A triblock copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)-b-poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PEG−PGMA−PDEA), was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) by successive polymerization of glycerol monomethacrylate (GMA) and 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DEA) using a PEG-based ATRP macroinitiator. Reacting the obtained triblock copolymer with varying amounts of cinnamoyl chloride in anhydrous pyridine yielded PEG−(PCGMA-co-PGMA)−PDEA triblock copolymer with photo-cross-linkable moieties, where PCGMA is poly(3-cinnamoyl glycerol monomethacrylate) and the mean degree of cinnamoylation ranges from 5 to 50 mol % relative to the PGMA block. All PEG−(PCGMA-co-PGMA)−PDEA triblock copolymers molecularly dissolve in aqueous media at acidic pH; upon addition of NaOH, micellization occurred above pH 7−8 to form three-layer “onionlike” micelles comprising PDEA cores, PCGMA-co-PGMA inner shells, and PEG outer coronas. The pH-induced micellization kinetics of PEG113−(C...
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