Customizing Ionic Micelles by Dynamic Coassembly of Sequence-Defined Peptoid Block Copolymers.

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

• Sequence-defined polymers offer precise control over conformation and interactions.
• Mixing polymers is a strategy to create novel mesoscale assemblies.
• Thermodynamic favorability is key for successful polymer mixing over self-sorting.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the aqueous assembly of binary mixtures of sequence-defined peptoid block copolymers (BCPs).
• Explore how varying charge patterns and stoichiometry influence micellar aggregate formation.
• Determine the tunability of micellar size, geometry, and interfacial hydrophobicity.

Main Methods:

• Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) experiments to observe dynamic coassembly.
• Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to analyze micellar size and aggregation.
• Binding studies with 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) to assess interfacial hydrophobicity.

Main Results:

• Peptoid chains with varying charge patterns dynamically coassemble into hybrid micellar aggregates.
• Micellar size and aggregation number are controllable via stoichiometry.
• Interfacial hydrophobicity of micelles is tailorable by adjusting the molar ratio of distinct sequences.

Conclusions:

• Mixing sequence-defined peptoid chains with varying charge patterns effectively produces tunable micellar assemblies.
• This strategy expands the chemical design space for materials discovery.
• Potential applications include enhanced drug encapsulation and solubilization.