Four amphiphilic poly((1,2-butadiene)-block-ethylene oxide) (PB-PEO) diblock copolymers were shown to aggregate strongly and form micelles in an ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF(6)]). The universal micellar structures (spherical micelle, wormlike micelle, and bilayered vesicle) were all accessed by varying the length of the corona block while holding the core block constant. The nanostructures of the PB-PEO micelles formed in an ionic liquid were directly visualized by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). Detailed micelle structural information was extracted from both cryo-TEM and dynamic light scattering measurements, with excellent agreement between the two techniques. Compared to aqueous solutions of the same copolymers, [BMIM][PF(6)] solutions exhibit some distinct features, such as temperature-independent micellar morphologies between 25 and 100 degrees C. As in aqueous solutions, significant nonergodicity effects were also observed. This work demonstrates the flexibility of amphiphilic block copolymers for controlling nanostructure in an ionic liquid, with potential applications in many arenas.
Concentrated solutions of poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-PEO) diblock copolymers were prepared using the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [EMI][TFSI] as the solvent. The self-assembled microstructures adopted by the copolymer solutions have been characterized using small-angle X-ray scattering. Lyotropic mesophase transitions were observed, with a progression from hexagonally packed cylinders of PEO, to lamellae, to hexagonally packed cylinders of PS upon increasing [EMI][TFSI] content. The change in lamellar domain spacing with ionic liquid concentration was found to be comparable to that reported for other block copolymers in strongly selective solvents. The ionic conductivity of the concentrated PS-PEO/[EMI][TFSI] solutions was measured via impedance spectroscopy, and ranged from 1 x 10(-7) to 1 x 10(-3) S/cm at temperatures from 25 - 100 degrees C. Additionally, the ionic conductivity of the solutions was found to increase with both ionic liquid concentration and molecular weight of the PEO blocks. The ionic conductivity of PEO homopolymer/[EMI][TFSI] solutions was also measured in order to compare the conductivity of the PS-PEO solutions to the expected limit for a lamellar sample with randomly oriented microstructure grains.
The lyotropic phase behavior of three poly(1,2-butadiene-b-ethylene oxide) diblock copolymers (PB-PEO) with different monomer volume fractions has been studied in two different ionic liquids, 1-ethyl-3methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMI][TFSI]) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMI][PF 6 ]), across the complete concentration range. The ordered microstructures present in the solutions were characterized via small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The phase diagrams for the PB-PEO/ ionic liquid solutions include regions corresponding to the classical copolymer microstructures: body-centeredcubic lattices of spheres, hexagonally ordered cylinders, and lamellae. Additionally, the phase diagrams also include wide regions of coexisting microstructures and regions apparently corresponding to a disordered network microstructure. The phase behavior of the PB-PEO copolymers in both ionic liquids was comparable to their previously reported aqueous solution behavior. The temperature dependence of the phase diagrams was very modest, indicative of a highly segregated system. The level of solvent selectivity was also investigated via cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) on dilute solutions. On the basis of the morphology of the dilute solution copolymer aggregate structures in the ionic liquid solvents, and on the structural length scales of the concentrated solutions, it was concluded that for PB-PEO [BMI][PF 6 ] behaves as a more selective solvent than [EMI][TFSI].
Three polystyrene‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS‐PMMA) block copolymers with varying molecular content have been shown to form micelles when dissolved in the ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM PF6). The micellar structure was studied via cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering, and a morphological transition from spherical to cylindrical micelles was observed upon reduction of the PMMA volume fraction. The possibility of frozen micellar morphology was considered, due to the solution preparation method and high glass transition temperature (Tg) of the PS blocks that form the micellar cores. By comparison of the behavior of a 100 kDa PMMA homopolymer dissolved in both BMIM PF6 and a known good solvent, acetone, it was determined that BMIM PF6 behaves as a good solvent for PMMA. It was also observed that extended exposure to the electron beam during cryogenic transmission electron microscopy could damage the copolymer micelles and result in a reversal of contrast.
PMe 3 ) 4 Ru(H)OAc has been prepared from (PPh 3 ) 3 Ru(H)OAc via phosphine exchange followed by solvent partitioning between acetonitrile and pentane. Complexes of the type (PMe 3 ) 4 Ru(H)R (R = Et, n Pr, n Bu, i Bu, H) have been synthesized through reaction with the corresponding Grignard reagents, RMgCl, and were found to be moderately stable provided the alkyl group is primary. Treatment with bulkier alkylmagnesium chlorides led instead to the dihydrido complex (PMe 3 ) 4 RuH 2 . In some cases, the reaction was complicated by transfer of halide from the Grignard reagent to form, for example, (PMe 3 ) 4 Ru(H)Cl.
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