U.S.-Hungary Materials Research: Effects of Polymer Architecture on the Aggregation Behavior of Amphiphilic Block Copolymers in Water

INT 0099682 Faust，Rudolf此美国-匈牙利的研究项目是由位于洛厄尔的马萨诸塞州大学的Rudolf Faust和他的合作伙伴位于德布勒森的Lajos科苏特大学的Miklos Zsuga共同完成的，该项目的特点是通过活性阳离子聚合合成具有非线性结构的新型两亲性嵌段共聚物，并研究结构对其聚集行为的影响。 基于他们先前开发的采用静态光和动态光散射的方法，研究人员打算研究结构对结构参数的影响，如在不同温度下嵌段共聚物胶束在水中的聚集数，总尺寸，核和壳尺寸。他们的研究结果可能会产生一些相对便宜的两亲物和非离子表面活性剂与许多潜在的应用，但对于其中的结构必须更好地理解，以优化performance.Above的临界胶束浓度在稀水溶液中，两亲性嵌段共聚物自组装成胶束与疏水不溶性核和亲水壳。 美国--匈牙利团队认为嵌段共聚物结构（星形，H形，接枝等）是胶束形成中的重要参数。 考虑到这一点，他们打算合成由疏水性聚异丁烯（PIB）和亲水性聚（甲基乙烯基醚）（PMeVE）片段组成的非线性嵌段结构。他们期望得到的两亲性星形嵌段共聚物作为模型聚合物，用于表征大分子两亲物和非离子表面活性剂的结构/性能关系。该聚合物研究项目通过使美国和中欧的专家能够联合收割机互补人才并在具有强烈共同兴趣和能力的领域共享研究资源来实现推进科学知识的计划目标。

INT 0099682Faust, RudolfThis U.S.-Hungarian research project between Rudolf Faust at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and his partner Miklos Zsuga of Lajos Kossuth University, Debrecen, features synthesis of novel amphiphilic block copolymers with non-linear architectures by living cationic polymerization and the study of architectural effects on their aggregation behavior. Building upon their previously developed methodologies that employ static light and dynamic light scattering, the researchers intend to investigate the architectural effects on structural parameters such as aggregation number, overall size, core, and shell dimensions of block copolymer micelles in water at different temperatures. Their results may yield some relatively inexpensive amphiphiles and non-ionic surfactants with many potential applications, but for which structure must be better understood to optimize performance.Above the critical micelle concentration in dilute aqueous solutions, amphiphilic block copolymers self-assemble into micelles with a hydrophobic insoluble core and a hydrophilic shell. The U.S.-Hungarian team maintains that block copolymer architecture (star-shaped, H-shaped, graft etc.) is an important parameter in micelle formation. With this in mind, they intend to synthesize non-linear block architectures consisting of hydrophobic polyisobutylene (PIB) and hydrophilic poly(methyl vinyl ether) (PMeVE) segments. They expect resulting amphiphilic star-block copolymers to serve as model polymers for characterizing architecture/property relationships of macromolecular amphiphiles and non-ionic surfactants. This polymer research project fulfills the program objective of advancing scientific knowledge by enabling experts in the United States and Central Europe to combine complementary talents and share research resources in areas of strong mutual interest and competence.