Tuning the morphology of triblock terpoly(2-oxazoline)s containing a 2-phenyl-2-oxazoline block with varying fluorine contentElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: SEC traces of the terpolymers and corresponding 1H NMR spectra. See DOI: 10.1039/c3sm50159k

• Main Authors: Mansfeld, Ulrich, Hoeppener, Stephanie, Kempe, Kristian, Schumers, Jean-Marc, Gohy, Jean-Franois, Schubert, Ulrich S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 05.06.2013
• ISSN: 1744-683X; 1744-6848
• DOI: 10.1039/c3sm50159k

The formation of nanostructures in triblock terpolymers consisting of poly[2-ethyl-2-oxazoline- block -2-(1-ethylpentyl)-2-oxazoline- block -2-(Xfluorophenyl)-2-oxazoline] (X = di, tri, tetra and penta) was investigated in water. For this purpose a gradually increasing degree of fluorination was introduced in the molecular structures and its influence on the self-assembly was studied. It can be demonstrated that the basic form of aggregation of these systems resembles rod-like micelles, which tend, upon introduction of fluorinated blocks, to aggregate first into 2-dimensional and later into 3-dimensional super-aggregates. In the case of di- and pentafluorinated terpolymers well-defined structures were observed, which represent likely intermediate, stable transient structures formed during an assumed rod-to-vesicle transition. DLS and cryo-TEM were utilized to analyze the structural features of these nanostructures and a model for their further assembly into super-structures was developed. The assembly of triblock terpolymers consisting of poly[2-ethyl-2-oxazoline- b -2-(1-ethylpentyl)-2-oxazoline- b -2-(2,6-Xfluorophenyl)-2-oxazoline] (X = di, tri, tetra and penta) was investigated in water.