UV-responsive amphiphilic graft copolymers based on coumarin and polyoxazoline. Issue 25 (6th June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Korchia, Laetitia; Lapinte, Vincent; Travelet, Christophe; Borsali, Redouane; Robin, Jean-Jacques; Bouilhac, Cécile
• Is Part Of: Soft matter. Volume 13:Issue 25(2017)
• Page Start: 4507
• Page End: 4519
• Publication Date: 2017-06-06
• Subjects: Soft condensed matter -- Periodicals; 530.413
• DOI: 10.1039/c7sm00682a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1744-683X

Abstract

Abstract : Synthesis and self-assembly behavior in aqueous solution of statistical UV-responsive amphiphilic graft copolymers based on coumarin and polyoxazoline. Abstract : A series of amphiphilic photo-responsive heterografted copolymers have been successfully synthesized. The random copolymers were composed of a methacrylate backbone, with various compositions of hydrophilic oligomeric 2-methyl-2-oxazoline side chains (OMOx) and hydrophobic long alkyl chains terminated by a coumarin moiety (Cm). Using dynamic (DLS) and static light scattering (SLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), their self-assembling behavior was studied in water using the nanoprecipitation method. Depending on the system, one, two or three particle size distributions co-exist in solution. However, DLS measurements showed that monomodal and slightly polydisperse self-assemblies were obtained with the more hydrophobic copolymers ( i.e., 85% of hydrophobic monomers with a long alkyl chain terminated by a coumarin moiety (MCm) per molecule) with hydrodynamic diameters ranging from ca. 130 to 300 nm. Morphological information on these self-assembly structures was obtained using SLS: a Gaussian behavior has thus been evidenced. Finally, these heterografted copolymers were illuminated using UV light at λ = 350 nm inducing photo-crosslinking of the coumarin units. The influence of UV illumination on the thus-formed nanoparticles was investigated by carrying out complementarily DLS-measurements and UV spectroscopy.