Preparation and self‐assembly of poly(diglycidyl maleate‐co‐stearyl methacrylate)

Abstract

Poly(diglycidyl maleate-co-stearyl methacrylate) (P(DGMA-co-SMA)) with reactive epoxy groups was synthesized by reaction of poly(maleic anhydride-co-stearyl methacrylate) (P(MA-co-SMA)) and epichlorohydrin. The effect of precipitant on self-assembly behaviors of the resultant copolymer was investigated. It was found that vesicles and nanotubule liked aggregates can be obtained through self-assembly of P(DGMA-co-SMA) in THF solution using CH 3 CH 2 OH (EtOH) as precipitant while spheral aggregates can be obtained using H 2 O as precipitant. The mechanism of the self-assembly behavior was discussed.

Synthesis of amphiphilic cationic copolymers poly[2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl trimethylammonium chloride‐co‐stearyl methacrylate] and their self‐assembly behavior in water and water‐ethanol mixtures

“…In Figure 9(c,d), the copolymers (Sample A 8 B 2 , A 7 B 3 in Table 1) self‐assembled into larger spherical vesicles. The reason may lie in the balance between the electrostatic repulsion and the interface tension as well as the attractive and repulsive forces among the segments and the solvents 18. Several literatures described the analogous phenomena shown here 13, 57, 58.…”

“…However, most studies have focused on the self‐assembly of well‐defined copolymers such as amphiphilic block copolymers 9–13. Only a few reports appeared in literature did concern the self‐assembly of amphiphilic random copolymers which can be easily prepared and have potential applications in industry and biomedicine 14–19…”

“…Stearyl methacrylate (SMA) is an interesting monomer because it has a pendent long alkyl side chain which can form crystalline domain 30. Recently, several studies have been performed on the radical copolymerization of SMA with some other monomers, and further on the self‐assembly of these copolymers 14, 18, 19, 31. For example, Wang et al18 reported on the synthesis of poly(maleic anhydride‐ co ‐stearyl methacrylate) using the free‐radical copolymerization and its derivatives poly(diglycidyl maleate‐ co ‐stearyl methacrylate) through the reaction of maleic anhydride moieties with epichlorohydrin.…”

“…Recently, several studies have been performed on the radical copolymerization of SMA with some other monomers, and further on the self‐assembly of these copolymers 14, 18, 19, 31. For example, Wang et al18 reported on the synthesis of poly(maleic anhydride‐ co ‐stearyl methacrylate) using the free‐radical copolymerization and its derivatives poly(diglycidyl maleate‐ co ‐stearyl methacrylate) through the reaction of maleic anhydride moieties with epichlorohydrin. It was found that the copolymers could self‐assemble into large compound micelles (LCMs), large vesicles and monolayer films at different solvents.…”