CO2‐Activated Reversible Transition between Polymersomes and Micelles with AIE Fluorescence. Issue 30 (24th June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Dapeng; Fan, Yujiao; Chen, Hui; Trépout, Sylvain; Li, Min‐Hui
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie international edition. Volume 58:Issue 30(2019)
• Page Start: 10260
• Page End: 10265
• Publication Date: 2019-06-24
• Subjects: aggregation-induced emission -- block copolymers -- carbon dioxide -- polymersomes -- shape transformation; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201905089
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-7851

Abstract

Abstract: Fluorescent polymersomes with both aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) and CO2 ‐responsive properties were developed from amphiphilic block copolymer PEG‐ b ‐P(DEAEMA‐ co ‐TPEMA) in which the hydrophobic block was a copolymer made of tetraphenylethene functionalized methacrylate (TPEMA) and 2‐(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA) with unspecified sequence arrangement. Four block copolymers with different DEAEMA/TPEMA and hydrophilic/hydrophobic ratios were synthesized, and bright AIE polymersomes were prepared by nanoprecipitation in THF/water and dioxane/water systems. Polymersomes of PEG45 ‐ b ‐P(DEAEMA36 ‐ co ‐TPEMA6 ) were chosen to study the CO2 ‐responsive property. Upon CO2 bubbling vesicles transformed to small spherical micelles, and upon Ar bubbling micelles returned to vesicles with the presence of a few intermediate morphologies. These polymersomes might have promising applications as sensors, nanoreactors, or controlled release systems. Abstract : AIE polymersomes self‐assembled from CO2 responsive amphiphilic block copolymer PEG‐ b ‐P(DEAEMA‐ co ‐TPEMA) showed a reversible CO2 ‐driven vesicle–micelle transition. Vesicles transformed to small spherical micelles upon CO2 bubbling and micelles returned to vesicles upon subsequent Ar bubbling.