Synthesis of Poly(propylene oxide)–Poly(N,N′-dimethylacrylamide) Diblock Copolymer Nanoparticles via Reverse Sequence Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly in Aqueous Solution

• Published in: Macromolecules Vol. 57; no. 1; pp. 317 - 327
• Main Authors: Farmer, Matthew A. H., Musa, Osama M., Haug, Iris, Naumann, Stefan, Armes, Steven P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 09-01-2024
• ISSN: 0024-9297; 1520-5835
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c01939

Sterically-stabilized diblock copolymer nanoparticles comprising poly­(propylene oxide) (PPO) cores are prepared via reverse sequence polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) in aqueous solution. N,N′-Dimethylacrylamide (DMAC) acts as a cosolvent for the weakly hydrophobic trithiocarbonate-capped PPO precursor. Reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of DMAC is initially conducted at 80% w/w solids with deoxygenated water. At 30–60% DMAC conversion, the reaction mixture is diluted to 5–25% w/w solids. The PPO chains become less solvated as the DMAC monomer is consumed, which drives in situ self-assembly to form aqueous dispersions of PPO-core nanoparticles of 120–190 nm diameter at 20 °C. Such RAFT polymerizations are well-controlled (M w/M n ≤ 1.31), and more than 99% DMAC conversion is achieved. The resulting nanoparticles exhibit thermoresponsive character: dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy studies indicate the formation of more compact spherical nanoparticles of approximately 33 nm diameter on heating to 70 °C. Furthermore, 15–25% w/w aqueous dispersions of such nanoparticles formed micellar gels that undergo thermoreversible (de)­gelation on cooling to 5 °C.