Single Molecule Visualization of Stable, Stiffness-Tunable, Flow-Conforming Worm Micelles

• Published in: Macromolecules Vol. 36; no. 18; pp. 6873 - 6877
• Main Authors: Dalhaimer, Paul, Bates, Frank S, Discher, Dennis E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 09-09-2003
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Properties and characterization; Solution and gel properties; Ethylene oxide polymer; Visualization; Butadiene copolymer; Chain elongation; Diblock copolymer; Micelle; Capillary flow; Aqueous solution; Experimental study; Micellar solution; Radiochemical crosslinking; Amphiphilic polymer
• ISSN: 0024-9297; 1520-5835
• DOI: 10.1021/ma034120d

We describe fluorescence visualization of highly stable worm micelle superpolymers. The worm micelles are self-assembled in water from nonionic, block copolymer amphiphiles. By blending and polymerizing inert and cross-linkable copolymers, we form micelles up to tens of microns long with persistence lengths that continuously span more than 2 orders of magnitude from submicron to submillimeter. In flow, pristine worms orient and stretch with DNA-like scaling, and their stability, loading capacity, and stealthiness make them ideal candidates for flow-intensive delivery applications such as phage-mimetic drug carriers and micropore delivery.