Block copolymers adsorbing to an interface between two immiscible homopolymers modify the elastic constants of this interface. Within self-consistent field calculations for Gaussian chains, we determine how the bending constants vary in dependence on the block copolymer concentration and architecture. Four phenomena are discussed. (i) When a tricritical or isotropic Lifshitz critical point is a...

Herein we report the potential of click chemistry-modified polypeptide-based block copolymers for the facile fabrication of pH-sensitive nanoscale drug delivery systems. PEG-polypeptide copolymers with pendant amine chains were synthesized by combining N-carboxyanhydride-based ring-opening polymerization with post-functionalization using azide-alkyne cycloaddition. The synthesized block copolym...

New synthetic methodologies for the formation of block copolymers have revolutionized polymer science within the last two decades. However, the formation of supramolecular block copolymers composed of alternating sequences of larger block segments has not been realized yet. Here we show by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), 2D NMR and optical spectroscopy that two different perylene bisimi...

Poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PDLLGA) and poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLLGA) copolymers were prepared by bulk ring opening polymerization of lactide and glycolide and characterized by GPC, FTIR, 1H NMR and DSC. Copolymers with different molar masses at a constant lactide/glycolide ratio were used for preparation of bovine serum albumin (BSA)-loaded microparticles by the double emulsion w/o/w...

(ABSTRACT) Linear thermoplastic polyesters are commonly used in high volume applications such as food containers, films and textile fibers. The physical and mechanical properties of these materials are well documented and are a function of chemical structure and morphology (e.g. semi-crystalline, amorphous, etc.). Polyesters, as are many organic polymers, are quite flammable. Polydimethylsiloxa...

Although the copolymerizations of l-lactide (LA) with seven- or six-membered ring lactones have been extensively studied, the copolymerizations of LA with four-membered ring lactones have scarcely been reported. In this work, we studied the copolymerization of LA with β-propiolactone (PL) and the properties of the obtained copolymers. The copolymerization of LA with PL was carried out using tri...

Lineal (poloxamers or Pluronic®) or X-shaped (poloxamines or Tetronic®) amphiphilic tri-block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(propylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) have been broadly explored for controlled drug delivery in different regenerative medicine approaches. The ability of these copolymers to self-assemble as micelles and to undergo sol-to-gel transitions upon heating has endowed t...

Fluorinated copolymers bearing ammonium groups were prepared by radical copolymerization of fluorinated olefins (chlorotrifluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene) with different vinyl ethers (2-chloroethyl, cyclohexyl, n-butyl, and ethyl vinyl ethers) followed by the cationization of these copolymers with trimethylamine. Copolymers were obtained in high yield (generally > 85 %), with molecular weig...

Segmented polyesteramides have been synthesized from N,N'-bis(p-carbomethoxybenzoy)butanediamine as crystalline segments and mixtures of poly(tetramethylene oxide) (mol. wt. 1000) and 1,5-pentanediol as soft segments. The polymerization was carried out in the melt at 250°C for I h while vacuum was applied. The melting behaviour of the copolymers was studied by differential scanning calorimetry....

The ability to control the micelle size of poly(lactic acid) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA–PEG) block copolymers is important for controlling their circulation in blood cell recognition, drug release and therapeutic effects. We successfully controlled the micelle size by changing the block number of copolymers (multiblock index). PLA–PEG multiblock copolymers with multiblock indexes ranging fr...