(255ab) Complexation Driven Assembly of Block Copolyelectrolytes into Spherical Micelles, Flower-like Micelles and Macro-Networks
AIChE Annual Meeting
2016
2016 AIChE Annual Meeting
Materials Engineering and Sciences Division
Poster Session: Materials Engineering & Sciences (08A - Polymers)
Monday, November 14, 2016 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
The generic micelle structures in complexation driven assemblies have been understood to be similar to those of amphiphilic micelles. However, recent investigations have unveiled salient differences between these solvophobicity and electrostatics driven assemblies. This presentation will highlight such differences by elaborating on both the typically acknowledged structure-defining contributions (via complexation) and additional structure-directing contributions (via intra-chain repulsion) of the charged blocks. Relying on extensive structural characterization from X-ray and neutron scattering experiments, specific examples of assembly of model oppositely charged diblock and triblock copolyelectrolytes that form spherical micelles and unique inter-connected networks of flower-like micelles, respectively, will be discussed. Further, the networks, at low polymer concentrations, phase separate from the solution, and our hypothesis on their structural features being primarily dictated by the conformations of the neutral block will be argued. In addition, conclusions from molecular dynamics simulations on the driving forces behind these unique assemblies and their direct comparisons with corresponding amphiphilic assemblies will be presented.