CAS Key Laboratory of Colloids, Interfaces and Chemical Thermodynamics Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, China.
Langmuir. 2011 Nov 1;27(21):12844-50. doi: 10.1021/la202680j. Epub 2011 Oct 7.
New amphiphilic random copolymers containing hydrophobic dodecyl (C12) chain and hydrophilic L-glutamic acid were synthesized, and their self-assembly in solution as well as on the solid surfaces was investigated. The self-assembly behavior of these polymers are largely dependent on their hydrophilic and hydrophobic balances. The copolymer with a more hydrophobic alkyl chain (∼90%) self-assembled into giant vesicles with a diameter of several micrometers in a mixed solvent of ethanol and water. When the hydrophobic ratio decreased to ca. 76%, the polymer self-assembled into conventional vesicles with several hundred nanometers. The giant vesicles could be fused in certain conditions, while the conventional vesicles were stable. When the content of the hydrophilic part was further increased, no organized structures were formed. On the other hand, when the copolymer solutions were directly cast on solid substrates such as silicon plates, films with organized nanostructures could also be obtained, the morphology of which depended on solvent selection. When ethanol or methanol was used, spheres were obtained. When dichloromethane was used as the solvent, honeycomb-like morphologies were obtained. These results showed that through appropriate molecular design, random copolymer could self-assemble into various organized structures, which could be regulated through the hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance and the solvents.
合成了含有疏水十二烷基（C12）链和亲水 L-谷氨酸的新型两亲性无规共聚物，并研究了它们在溶液中和固体表面上的自组装行为。这些聚合物的自组装行为在很大程度上取决于其亲水和疏水的平衡。具有更多疏水烷基链（约 90%）的共聚物在乙醇和水的混合溶剂中自组装成直径为数微米的巨型囊泡。当疏水比降低到约 76%时，聚合物自组装成几百纳米的常规囊泡。在某些条件下，巨型囊泡可以融合，而常规囊泡则稳定。当亲水性部分的含量进一步增加时，没有形成有组织的结构。另一方面，当共聚物溶液直接浇铸在硅片等固体基板上时，也可以得到具有组织纳米结构的薄膜，其形态取决于溶剂的选择。当使用乙醇或甲醇时，得到球体。当使用二氯甲烷作为溶剂时，得到蜂窝状形态。这些结果表明，通过适当的分子设计，无规共聚物可以自组装成各种有组织的结构，通过疏水/亲水平衡和溶剂可以对其进行调节。
