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Synthesis of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-b-N-vinylcarbazole) copolymers via RAFT polymerization and its stimuli responsive morphology in aqueous media

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Abstract

Here, we report the successful synthesis of series of stimuli responsive amphiphilic diblock copolymers (SRABCs) poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-b-N-vinylcarbazole) [poly(NIPAAm-b-NVK)] through reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Copolymers with fixed hydrophilic [poly(NIPAAm)] block length and variable (with three different) hydrophobic [poly(NVK)] block lengths were synthesized and the block length ratio was confirmed from their molecular weight data. The self-assembly nature of synthesized block copolymers was confirmed by determining critical micelle concentration (CMC). Self-assembled block copolymers showed rice-grain like morphology for copolymers having equivalent hydrophobic/hydrophilic chain length but in case of block copolymers having smaller and bigger hydrophobic chain length with respect to hydrophilic chain length displayed vesicular morphology. The thermo and pH responsiveness of the block copolymers was found to be influenced by variation in length and chemical composition of the blocks. Due to their thermo and pH responsiveness resulted self-assembled structures underwent morphology transitions from vesicular and rice grain like to micellar structure in aqueous medium. The probable applications of the studied stimuli responsive amphiphilic diblock copolymers can be found in the nanotechnology and biotechnology are indicated.

Synthesis, self-assembly and stimuli responsiveness of poly(NIPAAm-b-NVK) copolymers.

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Acknowledgements

KP gratefully acknowledge the DST, New Delhi, for providing INSPIRE Fellowship. Authors thank the UGC for providing facilities under Networking Centre at the School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India. We sincerely thank Centre for Nanotechnology, University of Hyderabad for allowing us to use the TEM facility.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Sciences, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon, India

    Kishor Pawar & Dilip Hundiwale

  2. School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India

    Kishor Pawar, S. N. Raju Kutcherlapati, Niranjan Yeole & Tushar Jana

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  1. Kishor Pawar
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  2. S. N. Raju Kutcherlapati
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Correspondence to Tushar Jana or Dilip Hundiwale.

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Supporting Information

Supporting information includes, critical micelle concentration (CMC) plots for P3 and P2 (Fig.S1 and S2); Nile Red encapsulation graph (Fig.S3) and Rhodamine 6G (R6G) encapsulation graph (Fig.S4). (DOCX 3364 kb)

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Pawar, K., Kutcherlapati, S.N.R., Yeole, N. et al. Synthesis of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-b-N-vinylcarbazole) copolymers via RAFT polymerization and its stimuli responsive morphology in aqueous media. J Polym Res 25, 91 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-018-1483-9

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