(159a) Amphiphilic Block Copolymers as Modulators of Interfacial Tension for Biosensing

Responsive block copolymers have shown great promises as modifiable surfactants and modulators of interfacial tensions. Understanding this dynamic property and its selectivity could potentially lead to the development of a low-cost, point-of-care method of detection of biomolecules for early diagnostic of deadly ailments such as sepsis. To this end, we investigate the effects of molecular features of polystyrene-block-polyacrylic acid on interfacial tensions. Specifically, we measure the changes in interfacial tensions at water-oil interfaces in response to the structural transformation when exposed to various analytes using pendant drop and force tensiometry. Functionalization of the block copolymers via carbodiimide mediated amidation is used to attach recognition units to improve selectivity toward targeted analytes. Additionally, we incorporate this functionalized block copolymer into complex double emulsions for in situ measurements. We anticipate this framework could provide a novel approach for rapid and continuous detections of biomolecules for disease diagnostics.