Cubosomes from hierarchical self-assembly of poly(ionic liquid) block copolymers.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 28091605.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms14057 and PMC identifier 5241804.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Cubosomes are micro- and nanoparticles with a bicontinuous cubic two-phase structure, reported for the self-assembly of low molecular weight surfactants, for example, lipids, but rarely formed by polymers. These objects are characterized by a maximum continuous interface and high interface to volume ratio, which makes them promising candidates for efficient adsorbents and host-guest applications. Here we demonstrate self-assembly to nanoscale cuboidal particles with a bicontinuous cubic structure by amphiphilic poly(ionic liquid) diblock copolymers, poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(4-vinylbenzyl)-3-butyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, in a mixture of tetrahydrofuran and water under optimized conditions. Structure determining parameters include polymer composition and concentration, temperature, and the variation of the solvent mixture. The formation of the cubosomes can be explained by the hierarchical interactions of the constituent components. The lattice structure of the block copolymers can be transferred to the shape of the particle as it is common for atomic and molecular faceted crystals.