AI Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on creating and analyzing poly(L-lysine)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(L-lysine) (KPK) triblock copolymers with a high proportion of lysine, over 75 wt%.
- Unlike PK diblock copolymers, the KPK triblock copolymers show changes in shape based on the pH levels, transitioning between spherical micelles, vesicles, and disk micelles.
- The researchers explain these shape shifts by examining the energy costs of the core P block folding into spherical micelles, which relates to the charge conditions of the K block and its effect on surface curvature.
Article Abstract
We report the synthesis and solution characterization of poly(L-lysine)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(L-lysine) (KPK) triblock copolymers with high lysine weight fractions (>75 wt%). In contrast to PK diblock copolymers in this composition range, KPK triblock copolymers exhibit morphology transitions as a function of pH. Using a combination of light-scattering and microscopy techniques, we demonstrate spherical micelle-vesicle and spherical micelle-disk micelle transitions for different K fractions. We interpret these morphology changes in terms of the energy penalty associated with folding the core P block to form a spherical micelle in relation to the interfacial curvature associated with different charged states of the K block.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/marc.201100881 | DOI Listing |
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