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Self-assembly between photoresponsive azobenzene-based dications and thermally sensitive PNIPAM-b-PAA block copolymers in aqueous solution

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Abstract

The effect of the photoresponsive azobenzene-based dications (AzoC10N2O22+) on the association in thermally sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-b-poly(acrylic acid) (PNIPAM-b-PAA) solutions is studied for the first time. The self-assembly of this complexes was measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrum. Results show that the micellar size of this colloidal complexes can be changed by the molar weight of AzoC10N2O22+ and reversibly controlled by ultraviolet (UV) light (365 nm) and blue light (455 nm) irradiation. It is the first to use azobenzene-based dications to control the self-assembly of PNIPAM-b-PAA by light irradiation, which enables the selection of appropriate conditions for the micellar properties by light.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully thank the National Science Foundation of China (J1210040) for the support of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Science, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, 410128, People’s Republic of China

    Chang Peng, Wenkui Zhao, Anjun Wu & Nan Zhou

  2. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, People’s Republic of China

    Shu Chen

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  1. Chang Peng
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  2. Wenkui Zhao
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  3. Anjun Wu
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  4. Nan Zhou
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  5. Shu Chen
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Correspondence to Anjun Wu, Nan Zhou or Shu Chen.

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Peng, C., Zhao, W., Wu, A. et al. Self-assembly between photoresponsive azobenzene-based dications and thermally sensitive PNIPAM-b-PAA block copolymers in aqueous solution. J Polym Res 25, 63 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-018-1445-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-018-1445-2

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