使用非干扰技术研究两亲性聚(乙二醇-b-己内酯)共聚物的微观结构与其胶体组装体之间的关系。
Interrogating the relationship between the microstructure of amphiphilic poly(ethylene glycol-b-caprolactone) copolymers and their colloidal assemblies using non-interfering techniques.
机构信息
Applied Chemistry and Translational Biomaterials (ACTB) Group, UniSA CHS, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia.
Drug Delivery, Disposition & Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
出版信息
J Colloid Interface Sci. 2022 Jan 15;606(Pt 2):1140-1152. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.08.084. Epub 2021 Aug 17.
Understanding the microstructural parameters of amphiphilic copolymers that control the formation and structure of aggregated colloids (e.g., micelles) is essential for the rational design of hierarchically structured systems for applications in nanomedicine, personal care and food formulations. Although many analytical techniques have been employed to study such systems, in this investigation we adopted an integrated approach using non-interfering techniques - diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) - to probe the relationship between the microstructure of poly(ethylene glycol-b-caprolactone) (PEG-b-PCL) copolymers [e.g., block molecular weight (MW) and the mass fraction of PCL (f)] and the structure of their aggregates. Systematic trends in the self-assembly behaviour were determined using a large family of well-defined block copolymers with variable PEG and PCL block lengths (number-average molecular weights (M) between 2 and 10 and 0.5-15 kDa, respectively) and narrow dispersity (Ð < 1.12). For all of the copolymers, a clear transition in the aggregate structure was observed when the hydrophobic f was increased at a constant PEG block M, although the nature of this transition is also dependent on the PEG block M. Copolymers with low M PEG blocks (2 kDa) were observed to transition from unimers and loosely associated unimers to metastable aggregates and finally, to cylindrical micelles as the f was increased. In comparison, copolymers with PEG block M of between 5 and 10 kDa transitioned from heterogenous metastable aggregates to cylindrical micelles and finally, well-defined ellipsoidal micelles (of decreasing aspect ratios) as the f was increased. In all cases, the diffusion NMR spectroscopy, DLS and synchrotron SAXS results provided complementary information and the grounds for a phase diagram relating copolymer microstructure to aggregation behaviour and structure. Importantly, the absence of commonly depicted spherical micelles has implications for applications where properties may be governed by shape, such as, cellular uptake of nanomedicine formulations.
理解控制两亲性共聚物聚集胶体(例如胶束)形成和结构的微观结构参数对于合理设计用于纳米医学、个人护理和食品配方的分级结构系统至关重要。尽管已经采用了许多分析技术来研究此类系统,但在本研究中,我们采用了一种综合方法,使用非干扰技术——扩散核磁共振(NMR)光谱、动态光散射(DLS)和同步加速器小角 X 射线散射(SAXS)——来探测聚(乙二醇-b-己内酯)(PEG-b-PCL)共聚物的微观结构[例如,嵌段分子量(MW)和 PCL 的质量分数(f)]与它们的聚集结构之间的关系。使用一大组具有不同 PEG 和 PCL 嵌段长度(数均分子量(M)分别在 2 到 10 和 0.5 到 15 kDa 之间)和窄分散度(Ð < 1.12)的定义明确的嵌段共聚物确定了自组装行为的系统趋势。当在恒定的 PEG 嵌段 MW 下增加疏水性 f 时,所有共聚物的聚集结构都观察到明显的转变,尽管这种转变的性质也取决于 PEG 嵌段 MW。当 f 增加时,具有低 MW PEG 嵌段(2 kDa)的共聚物被观察到从单体和松散缔合的单体转变为亚稳聚集体,最后转变为圆柱形胶束。相比之下,PEG 嵌段 MW 在 5 到 10 kDa 之间的共聚物从异质亚稳聚集体转变为圆柱形胶束,最后转变为具有较低纵横比的规则椭圆形胶束随着 f 的增加。在所有情况下,扩散 NMR 光谱、DLS 和同步加速器 SAXS 结果提供了互补信息,并为与共聚微观结构相关的相图提供了基础聚合行为和结构。重要的是,普遍描绘的球形胶束的不存在对于性质可能由形状决定的应用具有影响,例如,纳米医学制剂的细胞摄取。