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Published on: April 13, 2022
Spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering (SESANS) studies of diblock copolymer nanoparticles
Gregory N Smith1, Victoria J Cunningham1, Sarah L Canning1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Dainton Building, Brook Hill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S3 7HF, UK.
Abstract:
Poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PGMA-PBzMA) diblock copolymer nanoparticles were synthesized via polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) using reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) aqueous emulsion polymerization in D2O. Such PISA syntheses produce sterically-stabilized nanoparticles in situ and can be performed at relatively high copolymer concentrations (up to 50 wt%). This PGMA-PBzMA formulation is known to form only spherical nanoparticles in water using aqueous emulsion polymerization (Macromolecules, 2014, 47, 5613-5623), which makes it an ideal model system for exploring new characterization methods. The polymer micelles were characterized using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and a recently developed form of neutron scattering, spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering (SESANS). As far as we are aware, this is the first report of a study of polymer micelles by SESANS, and the data agree well with reciprocal-space scattering. Using this technique enables characterization of the concentrated, as synthesized dispersions directly without dilution, and this will provide a method to study self-assembled polymer systems that have concentration dependent morphologies, while still maintaining the advantages of scattering techniques.
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