The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Diblock copolymer micelles can be modified by using copolymers with functional monomers in one of the blocks, which must be synthesized separately. In this presentation, we synthesized diblock copolymers with modifiable monomers in both blocks, and then altered these units to tune the micellar characteristics. Poly(4-vinylpyridine) was selected as the core block and was cross-linked via quaternization, providing micellar stability during solvent exchange. A copolymer of 2-vinylpyridine and cyclohexylmethacrylate was employed as the corona block, offering solubility contrast with the P4VP core and promoting the formation of spherical micelles. The reactivity difference between 4VP and 2VP toward quaternization allowed for sequential post-micellization modification of the core and corona. The degree of quaternization in each block was quantified by NMR and FT-IR. Morphological changes induced by solvent variation after post-micellization modification were mainly investigated using TEM.