Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
Published on: March 24, 2018
Aggregation behavior of pluronic triblock copolymer in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium type ionic liquids
Shaohua Zhang1, Na Li, Liqiang Zheng
1Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Shandong University, Ministry of Education, Jinan, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Three amphiphilic poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxypropylene)-poly(oxyethylene) ethers triblock copolymers, denoted Pluronic L61 (PEO3PPO30PEO3), Pluronic L64 (PEO13PPO30PEO13), and Pluronic F68 (PEO79PPO30PEO79) were shown to aggregate and form micelles in ionic liquids (ILs) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (bmimBF4) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (bmimPF6). The surface tension measurements revealed that the dissolution of the copolymers in ILs depressed the surface tension in a manner analogous to aqueous solutions. The cmcs of three triblock copolymers increase following the order of L61, L64, F68, suggesting that micellar formation was driven by solvatophobic effect. cmc and gamma cmc decrease with increasing temperature because hydrogen bonds between ILs and hydrophilic group of copolymers decrease and accordingly enhance the solvatophobic interaction. Micellar droplets of irregular shape with average size of 50 nm were observed. The thermodynamic parameters DeltaGm0, DeltaHm0, DeltaSm0 of the micellization of block copolymers in bmimBF4 and bmimPF6 were also calculated. It was revealed that the micellization is a process of entropy driving, which was further confirmed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measurements.
More Related Videos
10:53Anionic Polymerization of an Amphiphilic Copolymer for Preparation of Block Copolymer Micelles Stabilized by π-π Stacking Interactions
Published on: October 10, 2016
11:42Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers
Published on: June 20, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Micelles
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism
Intermolecular Forces
Intermolecular Forces and Physical Properties
Colloids
Intermolecular Forces in Solutions
When the strengths of the intermolecular forces of attraction between solute and solvent species in a solution are no different than those present in the separated components, the solution is formed with no accompanying energy change. Such a solution is called an ideal solution. A mixture of ideal gases (or gases such as helium and argon,...