Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, Vol.52, No.14, 953-959, 2014
Preparation of Polymeric Vesicles through Ultrasonic Treatment of Poly(styrene-block-2-vinylpyridine) Micelles under Alkaline Conditions
An approach for the preparation of block copolymer vesicles through ultrasonic treatment of polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) micelles under alkaline conditions is reported. PS-b-P2VP block copolymers in toluene, a selective solvent for PS, form spherical micelles. If a small amount of NaOH solution is added to the micelles solution during ultrasonic treatment, organic-inorganic Janus-like particles composed of the PS-b-P2VP block copolymers and NaOH are generated. After removal of NaOH, block copolymer vesicles are obtained. A possible mechanism for the morphological transition from spherical micelles to vesicles or Janus-like particles is discussed. If the block copolymer micelles contain inorganic precursors, such as FeCl3, hybrid vesicles are formed, which may be useful as biological and chemical sensors or nanostructured templates. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.