Issue 16, 2009
From the journal:

Soft Matter

On the mechanism of formation of vesicles from poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(caprolactone) copolymers†

Dave J. Adams,‡*a   Craig Kitchen,b   Sarah Adams,b   Steve Furzeland,b   Derek Atkins,b   Peter Schuetz,b   Christine M. Fernyhough,c   Nadia Tzokova,c   Anthony J. Ryanc  and  Michael F. Butler*b  

* Corresponding authors

a Unilever Research Colworth, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, UK
E-mail: d.j.adams@liverpool.ac.uk

b Unilever Research Colworth, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, UK
E-mail: Michael.Butler@Unilever.com

c Department of Chemistry, Dainton Building, The University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield, UK

Abstract

Micelles, worm-like micelles and vesicles were prepared from poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(caprolactone) block copolymersvia a solvent switch method, and characterised by light scattering, X-ray scattering and cryo-transmission electron microscopy. The volume fraction of ethylene oxide, as the hydrophilic part in these polymers, determined the morphology in dilute solution, with spherical micelles, worm-like micelles, vesicles and precipitate being formed as the volume fraction decreased. The mechanism by which vesicles were formed in these systems during sequential dilution of the initial THF-rich solution with water was probed. It was shown that vesicles formed via a sequence of morphologies. The transitions between different self-assembled structures were followed using dynamic cryo-TEM. The behaviour of the PEO-b-PCL system was compared with the well-studied poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(styrene) system; the behaviour was shown to differ in the final stage during the transition from worm-like micelles to vesicles.

Graphical abstract: On the mechanism of formation of vesicles from poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(caprolactone) copolymers

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/B907628J
Article type
Paper
Submitted
16 Apr 2009
Accepted
19 May 2009
First published
24 Jun 2009

Soft Matter, 2009,5, 3086-3096

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On the mechanism of formation of vesicles from poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(caprolactone) copolymers

D. J. Adams, C. Kitchen, S. Adams, S. Furzeland, D. Atkins, P. Schuetz, C. M. Fernyhough, N. Tzokova, A. J. Ryan and M. F. Butler, Soft Matter, 2009, 5, 3086 DOI: 10.1039/B907628J

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