Platelet self-assembly of an amphiphilic A-B-C-A tetrablock copolymer in pure water

Authors

Enrique D. Gomez, University of California, Berkeley
Timothy J. Rappl, University of California, Berkeley
Vivek Agarwal, University of Rhode Island
Arijit Bose, University of Rhode Island
Marc Schmutz, Institut Charles Sadron
Carlos M. Marques, Université de Strasbourg
Nitash P. Balsara, University of California, Berkeley

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

5-3-2005

Abstract

A new principle demonstrated for controlling the self-assembly of amphiphilic tetrablock copolymer molecules and to explore the possibility of designing such amphiphilic molecules was discussed. The approach used an ABCA tetrablock copolymer with hydrophilic A blocks and hydrophobic B and C blocks. It was found that the molecular weight of each of the blocks was about 35 kg/mol. Experiments showed that the platelets with lateral dimensions in the 100-300 nm range formed spontaneously in dilute ABCA/water mixture at 45°C. The work provided a systematic study of the aggregation of amphiphilic ABCA tetrablock copolymers as a function of molecular architecture and solvent quality.

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Macromolecules

Volume

38

Issue

9

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Gomez, Enrique D., Timothy J. Rappl, Vivek Agarwal, Arijit Bose, Marc Schmutz, Carlos M. Marques, and Nitash P. Balsara. "Platelet self-assembly of an amphiphilic A-B-C-A tetrablock copolymer in pure water." Macromolecules 38, 9 (2005): 3567-3570. doi: 10.1021/ma047466c.