@article{AdelsbergerGrilloKulkarnietal.2013,
  author    = {Adelsberger, Joseph and Grillo, Isabelle and Kulkarni, Amit and Sharp, Melissa and Bivigou Koumba, Achille Mayelle and Laschewsky, Andr{\´e} and M{\"u}ller-Buschbaum, Peter and Papadakis, Christine M.},
  title     = {Kinetics of aggregation in micellar solutions of thermoresponsive triblock copolymers - influence of concentration, start and target temperatures},
  series = {Soft matter},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {Soft matter},
  number    = {5},
  publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry},
  address   = {Cambridge},
  issn      = {1744-683X},
  doi       = {10.1039/c2sm27152d},
  pages     = {1685 -- 1699},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {In aqueous solution, symmetric triblock copolymers with a thermoresponsive middle block and hydrophobic end blocks form flower-like core-shell micelles which collapse and aggregate upon heating through the cloud point (CP). The collapse of the micellar shell and the intermicellar aggregation are followed in situ and in real-time using time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), while heating micellar solutions of a poly((styrene-d(8))-b-(N-isopropyl acrylamide)-b-(styrene-d(8))) triblock copolymer in D2O rapidly through their CP. The influence of polymer concentration as well as of the start and target temperatures is addressed. In all cases, the micellar collapse is very fast. The collapsed micelles immediately form small clusters which contain voids. They densify which slows down or even stops their growth. For low concentrations and target temperatures just above the CP, i.e. shallow temperature jumps, the subsequent growth of the clusters is described by diffusion-limited aggregation. In contrast, for higher concentrations and/or higher target temperatures, i.e. deep temperature jumps, intermicellar bridges dominate the growth. Eventually, in all cases, the clusters coagulate which results in macroscopic phase separation. For shallow temperature jumps, the cluster surfaces stay rough; whereas for deep temperature jumps, a concentration gradient develops at late stages. These results are important for the development of conditions for thermal switching in applications, e.g. for the use of thermoresponsive micellar systems for transport and delivery purposes.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{ZhongAdelsbergerNiedermeieretal.2013,
  author    = {Zhong, Qi and Adelsberger, Joseph and Niedermeier, M. A. and Golosova, Anastasi and Bivigou Koumba, Achille Mayelle and Laschewsky, Andr{\´e} and Funari, S. S. and Papadakis, Christine M. and M{\"u}ller-Buschbaum, Peter},
  title     = {The influence of selective solvents on the transition behavior of poly(styrene-b-monomethoxydiethylenglycol-acrylate-b-styrene) thick films},
  series = {Colloid and polymer science : official journal of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft},
  volume    = {291},
  journal   = {Colloid and polymer science : official journal of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft},
  number    = {6},
  publisher = {Springer},
  address   = {New York},
  issn      = {0303-402X},
  doi       = {10.1007/s00396-012-2879-4},
  pages     = {1439 -- 1451},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {Thick poly(styrene-b-monomethoxydiethylenglycol-acrylate-b-styrene) [P(S-b-MDEGA-b-S)] films (thickness 5 mu m) are prepared from different solvents on flexible substrates by solution casting and investigated with small-angle X-ray scattering. As the solvents are either PS- or PMDEGA-selective, micelles with different core-shell micellar structures are formed. In PMDEGA-selective solvents, the PS block is the core and PMDEGA is the shell, whereas in PS-selective solvents, the order is reversed. After exposing the films to liquid D2O, the micellar structure inside the films prepared from PMDEGA-selective solvents remains unchanged and only the PMDEGA (shell part) swells. On the contrary, in the films prepared from PS-selective solvents, the micelles revert the core and the shell. This reversal causes more entanglements of the PMDEGA chains between the micelles. Moreover, the thermal collapse transition of the PMDEGA block in liquid D2O is significantly broadened. Irrespective of the solvent used for film preparation, the swollen PMDEGA shell does not show a prominent shrinkage when passing the phase transition, and the transition process occurs via compaction. The collapsed micelles have a tendency to densely pack above the transition temperature.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{ZhongMetwalliRawolleetal.2013,
  author    = {Zhong, Qi and Metwalli, Ezzeldin and Rawolle, Monika and Kaune, Gunar and Bivigou Koumba, Achille Mayelle and Laschewsky, Andr{\´e} and Papadakis, Christine M. and Cubitt, Robert and M{\"u}ller-Buschbaum, Peter},
  title     = {Structure and Thermal Response of Thin Thermoresponsive Polystyrene-block-poly(methoxydiethylene glycol acrylate)-block-polystyrene Films},
  series = {Macromolecules : a publication of the American Chemical Society},
  volume    = {46},
  journal   = {Macromolecules : a publication of the American Chemical Society},
  number    = {10},
  publisher = {American Chemical Society},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {0024-9297},
  doi       = {10.1021/ma400627u},
  pages     = {4069 -- 4080},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {Thin thermoresponsive films of the triblock copolymer polystyrene-block-poly(methoxydiethylene glycol acrylate)-block-polystyrene (P(S-b-MDEGA-b-S)) are investigated on silicon substrates. By spin coating, homogeneous and smooth films are prepared for a range of film thicknesses from 6 to 82 nm. Films are stable with respect to dewetting as investigated with optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy. P(S-b-MDEGA-b-S) films with a thickness of 39 nm exhibit a phase transition of the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) type at 36.5 degrees C. The swelling and the thermoresponsive behavior of the films with respect to a sudden thermal stimulus are probed with in-situ neutron reflectivity. In undersaturated water vapor swelling proceeds without thickness increase. The thermoresponse proceeds in three steps: First, the film rejects water as the temperature is above LCST. Next, it stays constant for 600 s, before the collapsed film takes up water again. With ATR-FTIR measurements, changes of bound water in the film caused by different thermal stimuli are studied. Hydrogen bonds only form between C=O and water in the swollen film. Above the LCST most hydrogen bonds with water are broken, but some amount of bound water remains inside the film in agreement with the neutron reflectivity data. Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) shows that the inner lateral structure is not significantly influenced by the different thermal stimuli.},
  language  = {en}
}