Date Approved
2019
Degree Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department or School
Chemistry
Committee Member
Gregg Wilmes, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Donald Snyder, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Cory Emal, Ph.D.
Abstract
Amphiphilic diblock copolymers are composed of hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. When they are exposed to water, the hydrophobic blocks aggregate to form a hydrophobic core surrounded by hydrophilic regions outside to give a core-shell micelle. These micelles have many potential applications, such as a drug delivery system, surfactants, or nanoreactor. Many studies have been done to optimize the performance of these copolymers. In this thesis work, nine dual temperature- and pH-responsive poly(acrylic acid-block-N-isopropylacrylamide) (PAA-b-PNIPAM) diblock copolymers with different relative chain lengths of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks were synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The preliminary results showed high conversion values for all products. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopies were used to study the selfassembly of synthesized copolymers in aqueous solution and measure the lower critical solution temperatures. Results clearly showed the occurrence of micellization for all copolymers.
Recommended Citation
Zarshenas Moghadam, Ehsan, "Synthesis and study of the micellization behavior of a dual temperature- and pH-responsive PAA-b-PNIPAM block copolymer" (2019). Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. 997.
https://commons.emich.edu/theses/997