Self-Associated Engineering in P123 Micelles Rationalizing the Role of Other Pluronics with Varying Hydrophilicity as...

This study explores the atomic-level interactions of different poly(ethylene oxide) (EO)-poly(propylene oxide) (PO)-based block copolymers (BCPs), commercially known as Pluronics, with varying hydrophilicity that influences the solution behavior within Pluronic P123 micelles as a mixed system. The critical insights into the thermoresponsiveness of P123 in the presence of different Pluronics with increasing %EO content (L61, L62, L64, and F68) is hypothesized to modulate the hydrophobic interactions, leading to distinct solution textures such as clear solution (sol), blue point (BP), and cloud point (CP). The solution relative viscosity (η_rel) and rheological analysis will depict the dynamic flow behavior and expose the viscoelastic properties of the blended system. The dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis will exhibit a temperature-dependent variation in the hydrodynamic diameter (D_h) micelle size in the examined system as a function of temperature, depicting micellar growth, while small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) will explore the intricate micellar structural dynamics in terms of size and shape using various mathematical models. Complementing these findings, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) will offer direct visualization of these micellar structures, confirming the morphological growth/transitions. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CG-MD) simulations will elucidate this self-assembly at the molecular scale with micelle size distributions, computed scattering intensity, density profiles, solvent-accessible surface area (SASA), diffusion coefficient (D), and mean squared displacement (MSD) profiles at elevated temperatures to uncover molecular packing and stability.