Synthesis, characterization and self-assembly of novel amphiphilic block copolymers with a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes moiety attached at the junction of the two blocks

Abstract

In this communication, we present a strategy for synthesis of well-defined amphiphilic block copolymers containing a POSS moiety at the junction point of a polystyrene chain and a poly(ethylene oxide) chain via living free radical polymerization. In the presence of the macroinitiator, the atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene was conducted at 110 8C and the structure, molecular weight and polydispersity of the polymers were characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy and GPC. The polymerization results demonstrate that the process bears all the characteristics of controlled/living free-radical polymerization and that amphiphilic block copolymers were efficiently obtained with controlled molecular weight and low polydispersity. The preliminary result of self-assembly shows that the amphiphilic block copolymers can form vesicles in aqueous solution, as characterized by TEM and SEM. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report for the synthesis of the amphiphilic block copolymers containing a POSS moiety at the junction point. © 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.