Thermo-responsive Diblock Copolymer Worm Gels in Non-polar Solvents

摘要: Benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) is polymerized using a poly(lauryl methacrylate) macromolecular chain transfer agent (PLMA macro-CTA) reversible addition–fragmentation (RAFT) polymerization at 70 °C in n-dodecane. This choice of solvent leads to an efficient dispersion polymerization, with polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) occurring via the growing PBzMA block produce range PLMA–PBzMA diblock copolymer nano-objects, including spheres, worms, and vesicles. In present study, particular attention paid worm phase, which forms soft free-standing gels 20 due multiple inter-worm contacts. Such exhibit thermo-responsive behavior: heating above 50 causes degelation onset worm-to-sphere transition. Degelation occurs because isotropic spheres interact each other much less efficiently than highly anisotropic worms. thermal transition essentially irreversible on dilute solution (0.10% w/w) bu...