Document Type
Article
Abstract
Micelle sizes are critical for a range of applications where the simple ability to adjust and lock in specific stable sizes has remained largely elusive. While micelle swelling agents are well-known, their dynamic re-equilibration in solution implies limited stability. Here, a non-equilibrium processing sequence is studied where supersaturated homopolymer swelling is combined with glassy-core (“persistent”) micelles. This path-dependent process was found to sensitively depend on unimer concentration as revealed by DLS, SAXS, and TEM analysis. Here, lower-selectivity solvent combinations led to the formation of unimer-homopolymer aggregates and eventual precipitation, reminiscent of anomalous micellization. In contrast, higher-selectivity solvents enabled supersaturated homopolymer loadings favored by rapid homopolymer insertion. The demonstrated ∼40–130 nm core-size tuning exceeded prior equilibrium demonstrations and subsequent core-vitrification enabled size persistence beyond 6 months. Lastly, the linear change in micelle diameter with homopolymer addition was found to correlate with a plateau in the interfacial area per copolymer chain.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Published in Soft Matter, 2024.
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2024
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.
APA Citation
Williams, E. R., Ruff, C. X., & Stefik, M. (2024). Unimer suppression enables supersaturated homopolymer swollen micelles with long-term stability after glassy entrapment. Soft Matter. https://doi.org/10.1039/d3sm01754k
Rights
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2024
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.