TY - JOUR A1 - Reitenbach, Julija A1 - Geiger, Christina A1 - Wang, Peixi A1 - Vagias, Apostolos N. A1 - Cubitt, Robert A1 - Schanzenbach, Dirk A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter T1 - Effect of magnesium salts with chaotropic anions on the swelling behavior of PNIPMAM thin films JF - Macromolecules : a publication of the American Chemical Society N2 - Poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNIPMAM) is a stimuli responsive polymer, which in thin film geometry exhibits a volume-phase transition upon temperature increase in water vapor. The swelling behavior of PNIPMAM thin films containing magnesium salts in water vapor is investigated in view of their potential application as nanodevices. Both the extent and the kinetics of the swelling ratio as well as the water content are probed with in situ time-of-flight neutron reflectometry. Additionally, in situ Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy provides information about the local solvation of the specific functional groups, while two-dimensional FTIR correlation analysis further elucidates the temporal sequence of solvation events. The addition of Mg(ClO4)2 or Mg(NO3)2 enhances the sensitivity of the polymer and therefore the responsiveness of switches and sensors based on PNIPMAM thin films. It is found that Mg(NO3)2 leads to a higher relative water uptake and therefore achieves the highest thickness gain in the swollen state. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02282 SN - 0024-9297 SN - 1520-5835 VL - 56 IS - 2 SP - 567 EP - 577 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Geiger, Christina A1 - Reitenbach, Julija A1 - Henschel, Cristiane A1 - Kreuzer, Lucas A1 - Widmann, Tobias A1 - Wang, Peixi A1 - Mangiapia, Gaetano A1 - Moulin, Jean-François A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter T1 - Ternary nanoswitches realized with multiresponsive PMMA-b-PNIPMAM films in mixed water/acetone vapor atmospheres JF - Advanced engineering materials N2 - To systematically add functionality to nanoscale polymer switches, an understanding of their responsive behavior is crucial. Herein, solvent vapor stimuli are applied to thin films of a diblock copolymer consisting of a short poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) block and a long poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNIPMAM) block for realizing ternary nanoswitches. Three significantly distinct film states are successfully implemented by the combination of amphiphilicity and co-nonsolvency effect. The exposure of the thin films to nitrogen, pure water vapor, and mixed water/acetone (90 vol%/10 vol%) vapor switches the films from a dried to a hydrated (solvated and swollen) and a water/acetone-exchanged (solvated and contracted) equilibrium state. These three states have distinctly different film thicknesses and solvent contents, which act as switch positions "off," "on," and "standby." For understanding the switching process, time-of-flight neutron reflectometry (ToF-NR) and spectral reflectance (SR) studies of the swelling and dehydration process are complemented by information on the local solvation of functional groups probed with Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. An accelerated responsive behavior beyond a minimum hydration/solvation level is attributed to the fast build-up and depletion of the hydration shell of PNIPMAM, caused by its hydrophobic moieties promoting a cooperative hydration character. KW - co-nonsolvency KW - diblock copolymers KW - nanoswitches KW - neutron reflectometry KW - thin films Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.202100191 SN - 1438-1656 SN - 1527-2648 VL - 23 IS - 11 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kreuzer, Lucas A1 - Widmann, Tobias A1 - Geiger, Christina A1 - Wang, Peixi A1 - Vagias, Apostolos N. A1 - Heger, Julian Eliah A1 - Haese, Martin A1 - Hildebrand, Viet A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter T1 - Salt-dependent phase transition behavior of doubly thermoresponsive poly(sulfobetaine)-based diblock copolymer thin films JF - Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids / American Chemical Society N2 - The water vapor-induced swelling, as well as subsequent phase-transition kinetics, of thin films of a diblock copolymer (DBC) loaded with different amounts of the salt NaBr, is investigated in situ. In dilute aqueous solution, the DBC features an orthogonally thermoresponsive behavior. It consists of a zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine) block, namely, poly(4-(N-(3'-methacrylamidopropyl)-N, N-dimethylammonio) butane-1-sulfonate) (PSBP), showing an upper critical solution temperature, and a nonionic block, namely, poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNIPMAM), exhibiting a lower critical solution temperature. The swelling kinetics in D2O vapor at 15 degrees C and the phase transition kinetics upon heating the swollen film to 60 degrees C and cooling back to 15 degrees C are followed with simultaneous time-of-flight neutron reflectometry and spectral reflectance measurements. These are complemented by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The collapse temperature of PNIPMAM and the swelling temperature of PSBP are found at lower temperatures than in aqueous solution, which is attributed to the high polymer concentration in the thin-film geometry. Upon inclusion of sub-stoichiometric amounts (relative to the monomer units) of NaBr in the films, the water incorporation is significantly increased. This increase is mainly attributed to a salting-in effect on the zwitterionic PSBP block. Whereas the addition of NaBr notably shifts the swelling temperature of PSBP to lower temperatures, the collapse temperature of PNIPMAM remains unaffected by the presence of salt in the films. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01342 SN - 0743-7463 SN - 1520-5827 VL - 37 IS - 30 SP - 9179 EP - 9191 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wang, Peixi A1 - Geiger, Christina A1 - Kreuzer, Lucas A1 - Widmann, Tobias A1 - Reitenbach, Julija A1 - Liang, Suzhe A1 - Cubitt, Robert A1 - Henschel, Cristiane A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter T1 - Poly(sulfobetaine)-based diblock copolymer thin films in water/acetone atmosphere: modulation of water hydration and co-nonsolvency-triggered film contraction JF - Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids N2 - The water swelling and subsequent solvent exchange including co-nonsolvency behavior of thin films of a doubly thermo-responsive diblock copolymer (DBC) are studied viaspectral reflectance, time-of-flight neutron reflectometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The DBC consists of a thermo-responsive zwitterionic (poly(4-((3-methacrylamidopropyl) dimethylammonio) butane-1-sulfonate)) (PSBP) block, featuring an upper critical solution temperature transition in aqueous media but being insoluble in acetone, and a nonionic poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNIPMAM) block, featuring a lower critical solution temperature transition in water, while being soluble in acetone. Homogeneous DBC films of 50-100 nm thickness are first swollen in saturated water vapor (H2OorD2O), before they are subjected to a contraction process by exposure to mixed saturated water/acetone vapor (H2OorD2O/acetone-d6 = 9:1 v/v). The affinity of the DBC film toward H2O is stronger than for D2O, as inferred from the higher film thickness in the swollen state and the higher absorbed water content, thus revealing a pronounced isotope sensitivity. During the co-solvent-induced switching by mixed water/acetone vapor, a two-step film contraction is observed, which is attributed to the delayed expulsion of water molecules and uptake of acetone molecules. The swelling kinetics are compared for both mixed vapors (H2O/acetone-d6 and D2O/acetone-d6) and with those of the related homopolymer films. Moreover, the concomitant variations of the local environment around the hydrophilic groups located in the PSBP and PNIPMAM blocks are followed. The first contraction step turns out to be dominated by the behavior of the PSBP block, where as the second one is dominated by the PNIPMAM block. The unusual swelling and contraction behavior of the latter block is attributed to its co-nonsolvency behavior. Furthermore, we observe cooperative hydration effects in the DBC films, that is, both polymer blocks influence each other's solvation behavior. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00451 SN - 0743-7463 SN - 1520-5827 VL - 38 IS - 22 SP - 6934 EP - 6948 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kreuzer, Lucas A1 - Lindenmeir, Christoph A1 - Geiger, Christina A1 - Widmann, Tobias A1 - Hildebrand, Viet A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter T1 - Poly(sulfobetaine) versus poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) BT - co-nonsolvency-type behavior of thin films in a water/methanol atmosphere JF - Macromolecules : a publication of the American Chemical Society N2 - The swelling and co-nonsolvency behaviors in pure H2O and in a mixed H2O/CH3OH vapor atmosphere of two different polar, water-soluble polymers in thin film geometry are studied in situ. Films of a zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine), namely, poly[3-((2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl)dimethylammonio) propane-1-sulfonate] (PSPE), and a polar nonionic polymer, namely, poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNIPMAM), are investigated in real time by spectral reflectance (SR) measurements and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Whereas PSPE is insoluble in methanol, PNIPMAM is soluble but exhibits cononsolvency behavior in water/methanol mixtures. First, the swelling of PSPE and PNIPMAM thin films in H2O vapor is followed. Subsequently, CH3OH is added to the vapor atmosphere, and its contracting effect on the water-swollen films is monitored, revealing a co-nonsolvency-type behavior for PNIPMAM and PSPE. SR measurements indicate that PSPE and PNIPMAM behave significantly different during the H2O swelling and subsequent exposure to CH3OH, not only with respect to the amounts of absorbed water and CH3OH, but also to the cosolvent-induced contraction mechanisms. While PSPE thin films exhibit an abrupt one-step contraction, the contraction of PNIPMAM thin films occurs in two steps. FTIR studies corroborate these findings on a molecular scale and reveal the role of the specific functional groups, both during the swelling and the cosolvent-induced switching of the solvation state. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02281 SN - 0024-9297 SN - 1520-5835 VL - 54 IS - 3 SP - 1548 EP - 1556 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schönemann, Eric A1 - Koc, Julian A1 - Karthäuser, Jana A1 - Özcan, Onur A1 - Schanzenbach, Dirk A1 - Schardt, Lisa A1 - Rosenhahn, Axel A1 - Laschewsky, André T1 - Sulfobetaine methacrylate polymers of unconventional polyzwitterion architecture and their antifouling properties JF - Biomacromolecules : an interdisciplinary journal focused at the interface of polymer science and the biological sciences N2 - Combining high hydrophilicity with charge neutrality, polyzwitterions are intensely explored for their high biocompatibility and low-fouling properties. Recent reports indicated that in addition to charge neutrality, the zwitterion's segmental dipole orientation is an important factor for interacting with the environment. Accordingly, a series of polysulfobetaines with a novel architecture was designed, in which the cationic and anionic groups of the zwitterionic moiety are placed at equal distances from the backbone. They were investigated by in vitro biofouling assays, covering proteins of different charges and model marine organisms. All polyzwitterion coatings reduced the fouling effectively compared to model polymer surfaces of poly(butyl methacrylate), with a nearly equally good performance as the reference polybetaine poly(3-(N-(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl)-N,N-dimethylammonio)propanesulfonate). The specific fouling resistance depended on the detailed chemical structure of the polyzwitterions. Still, while clearly affecting the performance, the precise dipole orientation of the sulfobetaine group in the polyzwitterions seems overall to be only of secondary importance for their antifouling behavior. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01705 SN - 1525-7797 SN - 1526-4602 VL - 22 IS - 4 SP - 1494 EP - 1508 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koc, Julian A1 - Schardt, Lisa A1 - Nolte, Kim A1 - Beyer, Cindy A1 - Eckhard, Till A1 - Schwiderowski, Philipp A1 - Clarke, Jessica L. A1 - Finlay, John A. A1 - Clare, Anthony S. A1 - Muhler, Martin A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Rosenhahn, Axel T1 - Effect of dipole orientation in mixed, charge-equilibrated self-assembled monolayers on protein adsorption and marine biofouling JF - ACS applied materials & interfaces N2 - While zwitterionic interfaces are known for their excellent low-fouling properties, the underlying molecular principles are still under debate. In particular, the role of the zwitterion orientation at the interface has been discussed recently. For elucidation of the effect of this parameter, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold were prepared from stoichiometric mixtures of oppositely charged alkyl thiols bearing either a quaternary ammonium or a carboxylate moiety. The alkyl chain length of the cationic component (11-mercaptoundecyl)-N,N,N-trimethylammonium, which controls the distance of the positively charged end group from the substrate's surface, was kept constant. In contrast, the anionic component and, correspondingly, the distance of the negatively charged carboxylate groups from the surface was varied by changing the alkyl chain length in the thiol molecules from 7 (8-mercaptooctanoic acid) to 11 (12-mercaptododecanoic acid) to 15 (16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid). In this way, the charge neutrality of the coating was maintained, but the charged groups exposed at the interface to water were varied, and thus, the orientation of the dipoles in the SAMs was altered. In model biofouling studies, protein adsorption, diatom accumulation, and the settlement of zoospores were all affected by the altered charge distribution. This demonstrates the importance of the dipole orientation in mixed-charged SAMs for their inertness to nonspecific protein adsorption and the accumulation of marine organisms. Overall, biofouling was lowest when both the anionic and the cationic groups were placed at the same distance from the substrate's surface. KW - SAM KW - antifouling coatings KW - zwitterionic KW - XPS KW - Navicula perminuta KW - Ulva linza KW - SPR Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c11580 SN - 1944-8244 SN - 1944-8252 VL - 12 IS - 45 SP - 50953 EP - 50961 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hu, Neng A1 - Lin, Li A1 - Metwalli, Ezzeldin A1 - Bießmann, Lorenz A1 - Philipp, Martine A1 - Hildebrand, Viet A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. A1 - Cubitt, Robert A1 - Zhong, Qi A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter T1 - Kinetics of water transfer between the LCST and UCST thermoresponsive blocks in diblock copolymer thin films monitored by in situ neutron reflectivity JF - Advanced materials interfaces N2 - The kinetics of water transfer between the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and upper critical solution temperature (UCST) thermoresponsive blocks in about 10 nm thin films of a diblock copolymer is monitored by in situ neutron reflectivity. The UCST-exhibiting block in the copolymer consists of the zwitterionic poly(4((3-methacrylamidopropyl)dimethylammonio)butane-1-sulfonate), abbreviated as PSBP. The LCST-exhibiting block consists of the nonionic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), abbreviated as PNIPAM. The as-prepared PSBP80-b-PNIPAM(400) films feature a three-layer structure, i.e., PNIPAM, mixed PNIPAM and PSBP, and PSBP. Both blocks have similar transition temperatures (TTs), namely around 32 degrees C for PNIPAM, and around 35 degrees C for PSBP, and with a two-step heating protocol (20 degrees C to 40 degrees C and 40 degrees C to 80 degrees C), both TTs are passed. The response to such a thermal stimulus turns out to be complex. Besides a three-step process (shrinkage, rearrangement, and reswelling), a continuous transfer of D2O from the PNIPAM to the PSBP block is observed. Due to the existence of both, LCST and UCST blocks in the PSBP80-b-PNIPAM(400 )film, the water transfer from the contracting PNIPAM, and mixed layers to the expanding PSBP layer occurs. Thus, the hydration kinetics and thermal response differ markedly from a thermoresponsive polymer film with a single LCST transition. KW - block copolymer KW - dual thermoresponsive KW - kinetic water transfer KW - neutron KW - reflectivity KW - thin film Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202201913 SN - 2196-7350 VL - 10 IS - 3 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fandrich, Artur A1 - Buller, Jens A1 - Memczak, Henry A1 - Stoecklein, W. A1 - Hinrichs, K. A1 - Wischerhoff, E. A1 - Schulz, B. A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Lisdat, Fred T1 - Responsive Polymer-Electrode Interface-Study of its Thermo- and pH-Sensitivity and the Influence of Peptide Coupling JF - Electrochimica acta : the journal of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE) N2 - This study introduces a thermally responsive, polymer-based electrode system. The key component is a surface-attached, temperature-responsive poly(oligoethylene glycol) methacrylate (poly(OEGMA)) type polymer bearing photoreactive benzophenone and carboxy groups containing side chains. The responsive behavior of the polymer in aqueous media has been investigated by turbidimetry measurements. Polymer films are formed on gold substrates by means of the photoreactive 2(dicyclohexylphosphino)benzophenone (DPBP) through photocrosslinking. The electrochemical behavior of the resulting polymer-substrate interface has been investigated in buffered [Fe(CN)6](3-)/[Fe (CN)6](4-)solutions at room temperature and under temperature variation by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The CV experiments show that with increasing temperature structural changes of the polymer layer occur, which alter the output of the electrochemical measurement. Repeated heating/cooling cycles analyzed by CV measurements and pH changes analyzed by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) reveal the reversible nature of the restructuring process. The immobilized films are further modified by covalent coupling of two small biomolecules - a hydrophobic peptide and a more hydrophilic one. These attached components influence the hydrophobicity of the layer in a different way the resulting change of the temperature-caused behavior has been studied by CV indicating a different state of the polymer after coupling of the hydrophobic peptide. KW - Stimuli-responsive materials KW - electroanalysis KW - modified electrode KW - bioreceptors KW - peptides KW - surface modification KW - cyclic voltammetry KW - IR ellipsometry KW - quartz crystal microbalance Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2017.01.080 SN - 0013-4686 SN - 1873-3859 VL - 229 SP - 325 EP - 333 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schönemann, Eric A1 - Koc, Julian A1 - Aldred, Nick A1 - Clare, Anthony S. A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Rosenhahn, Axel A1 - Wischerhoff, Erik T1 - Synthesis of Novel Sulfobetaine Polymers with Differing Dipole Orientations in Their Side Chains, and Their Effects on the Antifouling Properties JF - Macromolecular rapid communications N2 - The impact of the orientation of zwitterionic groups, with respect to the polymer backbone, on the antifouling performance of thin hydrogel films made of polyzwitterions is explored. In an extension of the recent discussion about differences in the behavior of polymeric phosphatidylcholines and choline phosphates, a quasi-isomeric set of three poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate)s is designed for this purpose. The design is based on the established monomer 3-[N-2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl-N,N-dimethyl]ammonio-propane-1-sulfonate and two novel sulfobetaine methacrylates, in which the positions of the cationic and the ionic groups relative to the polymerizable group, and thus also to the polymer backbone, are altered. The effect of the varied segmental dipole orientation on their water solubility, wetting behavior by water, and fouling resistance is compared. As model systems, the adsorption of the model proteins bovine serum albumin (BSA), fibrinogen, and lysozyme onto films of the various polyzwitterion surfaces is studied, as well as the settlement of a diatom (Navicula perminuta) and barnacle cyprids (Balanus improvisus) as representatives of typical marine fouling communities. The results demonstrate the important role of the zwitterionic group's orientation on the polymer behavior and fouling resistance. KW - antifouling KW - coatings KW - crosslinking KW - hydrophilic polymers KW - polyzwitterions Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.201900447 SN - 1022-1336 SN - 1521-3927 VL - 41 IS - 1 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Rosenhahn, Axel T1 - Molecular design of zwitterionic polymer interfaces BT - searching for the difference JF - Langmuir N2 - The widespread occurrence of zwitterionic compounds in nature has incited their frequent use in designing biomimetic materials. Therefore, zwitterionic polymers are a thriving field. A particular interest for this particular polymer class has currently focused on their use in establishing neutral, low-fouling surfaces. After highlighting strategies to prepare model zwitterionic surfaces as well as those that are more suitable for practical purposes relying strongly on radical polymerization methods, we present recent efforts to diversify the structure of the hitherto quite limited variety of zwitterionic monomers and of the derived polymers. We identify key structural variables, consider their influence on essential properties such as overall hydrophilicity and long-term stability, and discuss promising targets for the synthesis of new variants. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01789 SN - 0743-7463 VL - 35 IS - 5 SP - 1056 EP - 1071 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kreuzer, Lucas A1 - Widmann, Tobias A1 - Hohn, Nuri A1 - Wang, Kun A1 - Biessmann, Lorenz A1 - Peis, Leander A1 - Moulin, Jean-Francois A1 - Hildebrand, Viet A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter T1 - Swelling and exchange behavior of poly(sulfobetaine)-based block copolymer thin films JF - Macromolecules : web edition N2 - The humidity-induced swelling and exchange behavior of a block copolymer thin film, which consists of a zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine) [poly(N,N-dimethyl-N-(3-(methacrylamido)propyl)ammoniopropanesulfonate) (PSPP)] block and a nonionic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) block, are investigated by time-of-flight neutron reflectometry (TOF-NR). We monitor in situ the swelling in the H2O atmosphere, followed by an exchange with D2O. In the reverse experiment, swelling in the D2O atmosphere and the subsequent exchange with H2O are studied. Both, static and kinetic TOF-NR measurements indicate significant differences in the interactions between the PSPP80-b-PNIPAM(130) thin film and H2O or D2O, which we attribute to the different H- and D-bonds between water and the polymer. Changes in the chain conformation and hydrogen bonding are probed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy during the kinetics of the swelling and exchange processes, which reveals the key roles of the ionic SO3- group in the PSPP block and of the polar amide groups of both blocks during water uptake and exchange. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.9b00443 SN - 0024-9297 SN - 1520-5835 VL - 52 IS - 9 SP - 3486 EP - 3498 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koc, Julian A1 - Simovich, Tomer A1 - Schönemann, Eric A1 - Chilkoti, Ashutosh A1 - Gardner, Harrison A1 - Swain, Geoffrey W. A1 - Hunsucker, Kelli A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Rosenhahn, Axel T1 - Sediment challenge to promising ultra-low fouling hydrophilic surfaces in the marine environment JF - Biofouling : the journal of bioadhesion and biofilm research N2 - Hydrophilic coatings exhibit ultra-low fouling properties in numerous laboratory experiments. In stark contrast, the antifouling effect of such coatings in vitro failed when performing field tests in the marine environment. The fouling release performance of nonionic and zwitterionic hydrophilic polymers was substantially reduced compared to the controlled laboratory environment. Microscopy and spectroscopy revealed that a large proportion of the accumulated material in field tests contains inorganic compounds and diatomaceous soil. Diatoms adhered to the accumulated material on the coating, but not to the pristine polymer. Simulating field tests in the laboratory using sediment samples collected from the test sites showed that incorporated sand and diatomaceous earth impairs the fouling release characteristics of the coatings. When exposed to marine sediment from multiple locations, particulate matter accumulated on these coatings and served as attachment points for diatom adhesion and enhanced fouling. Future developments of hydrophilic coatings should consider accumulated sediment and its potential impact on the antifouling performance. KW - hydrogel KW - field test KW - fouling release KW - marine biofouling KW - sediment Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/08927014.2019.1611790 SN - 0892-7014 SN - 1029-2454 VL - 35 IS - 4 SP - 454 EP - 462 PB - Taylor & Francis CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vishnevetskaya, Natalya S. A1 - Hildebrand, Viet A1 - Nizardo, Noverra Mardhatillah A1 - Ko, Chia-Hsin A1 - Di, Zhenyu A1 - Radulescu, Aurel A1 - Barnsley, Lester C. A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. T1 - All-in-One "Schizophrenic" self-assembly of orthogonally tuned thermoresponsive diblock copolymers JF - Langmuir N2 - Smart, fully orthogonal switching was realized in a highly biocompatible diblock copolymer system with variable trigger-induced aqueous self-assembly. The polymers are composed of nonionic and zwitterionic blocks featuring lower and upper critical solution temperatures (LCSTs and UCSTs). In the system investigated, diblock copolymers from poly(N-isopropyl methacrylamide) (PNIPMAM) and a poly(sulfobetaine methacrylamide), systematic variation of the molar mass of the latter block allowed for shifting the UCST of the latter above the LCST of the PNIPMAM block in a salt-free condition. Thus, successive thermal switching results in "schizophrenic" micellization, in which the roles of the hydrophobic core block and the hydrophilic shell block are interchanged depending on the temperature. Furthermore, by virtue of the strong electrolyte-sensitivity of the zwitterionic polysulfobetaine block, we succeeded to shift its UCST below the LCST of the PNIPMAM block by adding small amounts of an electrolyte, thus inverting the pathway of switching. This superimposed orthogonal switching by electrolyte addition enabled us to control the switching scenarios between the two types of micelles (i) via an insoluble state, if the LCST-type cloud point is below the UCST-type cloud point, which is the case at low salt concentrations or (ii) via a molecularly dissolved state, if the LCST-type cloud point is above the UCST-type cloud point, which is the case at high salt concentrations. Systematic variation of the block lengths allowed for verifying the anticipated behavior and identifying the molecular architecture needed. The versatile and tunable self-assembly offers manifold opportunities, for example, for smart emulsifiers or for sophisticated carrier systems. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00241 SN - 0743-7463 VL - 35 IS - 19 SP - 6441 EP - 6452 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cramer, Ashley D. A1 - Gambinossi, Filippo A1 - Wischerhoff, Erik A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Miller, Reinhard A1 - Ferri, James K. T1 - Flexible thermoresponsive nanomembranes at the aqueous-air interface JF - Chemical communications N2 - A synthetic pathway is described to construct thermoresponsive freestanding nanomembranes at the aqueous-air interface of a pendant drop. Dynamic control of the reaction kinetics allows formation of viscoelastic interfaces supporting anisotropic stresses and mechanical stability, which can be tuned by external stimuli. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c4cc07359b SN - 1359-7345 SN - 1364-548X VL - 51 IS - 5 SP - 877 EP - 880 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gambinossi, Filippo A1 - Sefcik, Lauren S. A1 - Wischerhoff, Erik A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Ferri, James K. T1 - Engineering Adhesion to Thermoresponsive Substrates: Effect of Polymer Composition on Liquid-Liquid-Solid Wetting JF - ACS applied materials & interfaces N2 - Adhesion control in liquidliquidsolid systems represents a challenge for applications ranging from self-cleaning to biocompatibility of engineered materials. By using responsive polymer chemistry and molecular self-assembly, adhesion at solid/liquid interfaces can be achieved and modulated by external stimuli. Here, we utilize thermosensitive polymeric materials based on random copolymers of di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (x = MEO(2)MA) and oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (y = OEGMA), that is, P(MEO(2)MA(x)-co-OEGMA(y)), to investigate the role of hydrophobicity on the phenomenon of adhesion. The copolymer ratio (x/y) dictates macromolecular changes enabling control of the hydrophilic-to-lipophilic balance (HBL) of the polymer brushes through external triggers such as ionic strength and temperature. We discuss the HBL of the thermobrushes in terms of the surface energy of the substrate by measuring the contact angle at waterdecaneP(MEO(2)MA(x)-co-OEGMA(y)) brush contact line as a function of polymer composition and temperature. Solid supported polyelectrolyte layers grafted with P(MEO(2)MA(x)-co-OEGMA(y)) display a transition in the wettability that is related to the lower critical solution temperature of the polymer brushes. Using experimental observation of the hydrophilic to hydrophobic transition by the contact angle, we extract the underlying energetics associated with liquidliquidsolid adhesion as a function of the copolymer ratio. The change in cellular attachment on P(MEO(2)MA(x)-co-OEGMA(y)) substrates of variable (x/y) composition demonstrates the subtle role of compositional tuning on the ability to control liquidliquidsolid adhesion in biological applications. KW - water/decane contact angle KW - thermoresponsive substrates KW - di(ethylene glycol) methy ether methacrylate KW - oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate KW - hydrophilic-to-lipophilic balance KW - programmable adhesion Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/am507418m SN - 1944-8244 VL - 7 IS - 4 SP - 2518 EP - 2528 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Adelsberger, Joseph A1 - Bivigou Koumba, Achille Mayelle A1 - Miasnikova, Anna A1 - Busch, Peter A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. T1 - Polystyrene-block-poly (methoxy diethylene glycol acrylate)-block-polystyrene triblock copolymers in aqueous solution-a SANS study of the temperature-induced switching behavior JF - Colloid and polymer science : official journal of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft N2 - A concentrated solution of a symmetric triblock copolymer with a thermoresponsive poly(methoxy diethylene glycol acrylate) (PMDEGA) middle block and short hydrophobic, fully deuterated polystyrene end blocks is investigated in D2O where it undergoes a lower critical solution temperature-type phase transition at ca. 36 A degrees C. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) in a wide temperature range (15-50 A degrees C) is used to characterize the size and inner structure of the micelles as well as the correlation between the micelles and the formation of aggregates by the micelles above the cloud point (CP). A model featuring spherical core-shell micelles, which are correlated by a hard-sphere potential or a sticky hard-sphere potential together with a Guinier form factor describing aggregates formed by the micelles above the CP, fits the SANS curves well in the entire temperature range. The thickness of the thermoresponsive micellar PMDEGA shell as well as the hard-sphere radius increase slightly already below the cloud point. Whereas the thickness of the thermoresponsive micellar shell hardly shrinks when heating through the CP and up to 50 A degrees C, the hard-sphere radius decreases within 3.5 K at the CP. The volume fraction decreases already significantly below the CP, which may be at the origin of the previously observed gel-sol transition far below the CP (Miasnikova et al., Langmuir 28: 4479-4490, 2012). Above the CP, small, and at higher temperatures, large aggregates are formed by the micelles. KW - Hydrogel KW - Thermoresponsive KW - LCST behavior KW - SANS Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-015-3535-6 SN - 0303-402X SN - 1435-1536 VL - 293 IS - 5 SP - 1515 EP - 1523 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - de Molina, Paula Malo A1 - Ihlefeldt, Franziska Stefanie A1 - Prevost, Sylvain A1 - Herfurth, Christoph A1 - Appavou, Marie-Sousai A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Gradzielski, Michael T1 - Phase Behavior of Nonionic Microemulsions with Multi-end-capped Polymers and Its Relation to the Mesoscopic Structure JF - Langmuir N2 - The polymer architecture of telechelic or associative polymers has a large impact on the bridging of self-assembled structures. This Work presents: the phase behavior, small angle neutron scattering (SANS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) of a nonionic oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsion with hydrophobically end-capped multiarm polymers With functionalities f = 2, 3, and 4. For high polymer concentrations and large average interdroplet distance relative to the end-to-end distance of the polymer, d/R-ee; the system phase separates into a dense, highly connected droplet network phase, in equilibrium with a dilute phase. The extent of the two-phase region is larger for polymers With similar length but higher f. The Interaction potential between the droplets in the presence of polymer has both a repulsive and an attractive contribution as a result of the counterbalancing effects of the exclusion by polymer chains and bridging between droplets. This study experimentally demonstrates that higher polymer functionalities induce a stronger attractive force between droplets, which is responsible for a more extended phase separation region., and correlate with lower Collective droplet diffusivities and higher amplitude of the second relaxation time in DLS. The viscosity and the droplet self-diffusion obtained from FCS, however, are dominated by the end-capped chain concentration. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b00817 SN - 0743-7463 VL - 31 IS - 18 SP - 5198 EP - 5209 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Couturier, Jean-Philippe A1 - Sütterlin, Martin A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Hettrich, Cornelia A1 - Wischerhoff, Erik T1 - Responsive Inverse Opal Hydrogels for the Sensing of Macromolecules JF - Angewandte Chemie : a journal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker ; International edition N2 - Dual responsive inverse opal hydrogels were designed as autonomous sensor systems for (bio)macromolecules, exploiting the analyte-induced modulation of the opal's structural color. The systems that are based on oligo(ethylene glycol) macromonomers additionally incorporate comonomers with various recognition units. They combine a coil-to-globule collapse transition of the LCST type with sensitivity of the transition temperature toward molecular recognition processes. This enables the specific detection of macromolecular analytes, such as glycopolymers and proteins, by simple optical methods. While the inverse opal structure assists the effective diffusion even of large analytes into the photonic crystal, the stimulus responsiveness gives rise to strong shifts of the optical Bragg peak of more than 100nm upon analyte binding at a given temperature. The systems' design provides a versatile platform for the development of easy-to-use, fast, and low-cost sensors for pathogens. KW - hydrogels KW - photonic crystals KW - polymers KW - responsive materials KW - sensors Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201500674 SN - 1433-7851 SN - 1521-3773 VL - 54 IS - 22 SP - 6641 EP - 6644 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fandrich, Artur A1 - Buller, Jens A1 - Schäfer, Daniel A1 - Wischerhoff, Erik A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Lisdat, Fred T1 - Electrochemical characterization of a responsive macromolecular interface on gold JF - Physica status solidi : A, Applications and materials science N2 - This study reports on the investigation of a thermoresponsive polymer as a thin film on electrodes and the influence of coupling a peptide and an antibody to the film. The utilized polymer from the class of poly(oligoethylene glycol)-methacrylate polymers (poly(OEGMA)) with carboxy functions containing side chains was synthesized and properly characterized in aqueous solutions. The dependence of the cloud point on the pH of the surrounding media is discussed. The responsive polymer was immobilized on gold electrodes as shown by electrochemical, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. The temperature dependent behavior of the polymer covalently grafted to gold substrates is investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) in ferro-/ferricyanide solution. Significant changes in the slope of the temperature-dependence of the voltammetric peak current and the peak separation values clearly indicate the thermally induced conformational change on the surface. Finally, a biorecognition reaction between a short FLAG peptide (N-Asp-Tyr-Lys-Asp-Asp-Asp-Asp-Lys-C) covalently immobilized on the polymer interface and the corresponding IgG antibody was performed. The study shows that the responsiveness of the electrode is retained after peptide coupling and antibody binding, although the response is diminished. KW - biorecognition reactions KW - cyclic voltammetry KW - electrodes KW - gold KW - interfaces KW - responsive polymers Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.201431698 SN - 1862-6300 SN - 1862-6319 VL - 212 IS - 6 SP - 1359 EP - 1367 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhong, Qi A1 - Metwalli, Ezzeldin A1 - Rawolle, Monika A1 - Kaune, Gunar A1 - Bivigou Koumba, Achille Mayelle A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. A1 - Cubitt, Robert A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter T1 - Rehydration of Thermoresponsive Poly(monomethoxydiethylene glycol acrylate) Films Probed in Situ by Real-Time Neutron Reflectivity JF - Macromolecules : a publication of the American Chemical Society N2 - The rehydration of thermoresponsive poly(monomethoxydiethylene glycol acrylate) (PMDEGA) films exhibiting a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) type demixing phase transition in aqueous environments, induced by a decrease in temperature, is investigated in situ with real-time neutron reflectivity. Two different starting conditions (collapsed versus partially swollen chain conformation) are compared. In one experiment, the temperature is reduced from above the demixing temperature to well below the demixing temperature. In a second experiment, the starting temperature is below the demixing temperature, but within the transition regime, and reduced to the same final temperature. In both cases, the observed rehydration process can be divided into three stages: first condensation of water from the surrounding atmosphere, then absorption of water by the PMDEGA film and evaporation of excess water, and finally, rearrangement of the PMDEGA chains. The final rehydrated film is thicker and contains more absorbed water as compared with the initially swollen film at the same temperature well below the demixing temperature. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.5b00645 SN - 0024-9297 SN - 1520-5835 VL - 48 IS - 11 SP - 3604 EP - 3612 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zerball, Maximilian A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - von Klitzing, Regine T1 - Swelling of Polyelectrolyte Multilayers: The Relation Between, Surface and Bulk Characteristics JF - The journal of physical chemistry : B, Condensed matter, materials, surfaces, interfaces & biophysical chemistry N2 - The odd even effect, i.e., the influence of the outermost layer of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) on their swelling behavior, is investigated. For that purpose poly(styrene sodium sulfonate) (PSS)/poly(diallyl-dimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) polyelectrolyte multilayers are studied in air with 1% relative humidity (RH), 30% RH, 95% RH, and in liquid water by ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray reflectometry (XRR). Since the total amount of water uptake in swollen PEMs is divided into two fractions, the void water and the swelling water, a correct evaluation of the odd even effect is only possible if both fractions are examined separately. In order to allow measuring samples over a larger thickness regime the investigation of a larger amount of samples is required. Therefore, the concept of separating void water from swelling water using neutron reflectometry is for the first time transferred to ellipsometry. The subsequent analysis of swelling water, void water, and roughness revealed the existence of two types of odd even effects: an odd even effect which addresses only the surface of the PEM (surface-odd even effect) and an odd even effect which addresses also the bulk of the PEM (bulk-odd even effect). The appearance of both effects is dependent on the environment; the surface-odd even effect is only detectable in humid air while the bulk-odd even effect is only detectable in liquid water. The bulk-odd even effect is related to the osmotic pressure between the PEM and the surrounding water. A correlation between the amount of void water and both odd even effects is not found. The amount of void water is independent of the terminated layer and the thickness of PEMs. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b04350 SN - 1520-6106 VL - 119 IS - 35 SP - 11879 EP - 11886 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kopec, Maciej A1 - Lapok, Lukasz A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Zapotoczny, Szczepan A1 - Nowakowska, Maria T1 - Polyelectrolyte multilayers with perfluorinated phthalocyanine selectively entrapped inside the perfluorinated nanocompartments JF - Soft matter N2 - A novel perfluorinated magnesium phthalocyanine (MgPcF64) was synthesized and employed to probe nanodomains in hydrophobically modified, amphiphilic cationic polyelectrolytes bearing alkyl and/or fluoroalkyl side chains. MgPcF64 was found to be solubilized exclusively in the aqueous solutions of the fluorocarbon modified polycations, occupying the perfluorinated nanocompartments provided, while analogous polyelectrolytes with alkyl side chains forming hydrocarbon nanocompartments could not host the MgPcF64 dye. Multilayer films were fabricated by means of the layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition method using sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) as a polyanion. Linear multilayer growth was confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Atomic force microscopy studies indicated that the micellar conformation of the polycations is preserved in the multilayer films. Fluorescence spectroscopy measurements confirmed that MgPcF64 stays embedded inside the fluorocarbon domains after the deposition process. This facile way of selectively incorporating water-insoluble, photoactive molecules into the structure of polyelectrolyte multilayers may be utilized for nanoengineering of ultrathin film-based optoelectronic devices. Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c2sm26938d SN - 1744-683X SN - 1744-6848 VL - 10 IS - 10 SP - 1481 EP - 1488 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hildebrand, Viet A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Zehm, Daniel T1 - On the hydrophilicity of polyzwitterion poly (N, N-dimethyl-N(3-(methacrylamido)propyl)ammoniopropane sulfonate) in water, deuterated water, and aqueous salt solutions JF - Journal of biomaterials science : Polymer edition KW - polyzwitterion KW - sulfobetaine KW - synthesis KW - fluorescence label KW - upper critical solution temperature KW - isotope effect KW - anti-polyelectrolyte effect Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/09205063.2014.939918 SN - 0920-5063 SN - 1568-5624 VL - 25 IS - 14-15 SP - 1602 EP - 1618 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Comminges, Clement A1 - Frasca, Stefano A1 - Suetterlin, Martin A1 - Wischerhoff, Erik A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Wollenberger, Ursula T1 - Surface modification with thermoresponsive polymer brushes for a switchable electrochemical sensor JF - RSC Advances N2 - Elaboration of switchable surfaces represents an interesting way for the development of a new generation of electrochemical sensors. In this paper, a method for growing thermoresponsive polymer brushes from a gold surface pre-modified with polyethyleneimine (PEI), subsequent layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte assembly and adsorption of a charged macroinitiator is described. We propose an easy method for monitoring the coil-to-globule phase transition of the polymer brush using an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (E-QCM-D). The surface of these polymer modified electrodes shows reversible switching from the swollen to the collapsed state with temperature. As demonstrated from E-QCM-D measurements using an original signal processing method, the switch is operating in three reversible steps related to different interfacial viscosities. Moreover, it is shown that the one electron oxidation of ferrocene carboxylic acid is dramatically affected by the change from the swollen to the collapsed state of the polymer brush, showing a spectacular 86% decrease of the charge transfer resistance between the two states. Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c4ra07190e SN - 2046-2069 VL - 4 IS - 81 SP - 43092 EP - 43097 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kopec, Maciej A1 - Niemiec, Wiktor A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Nowakowska, Maria A1 - Zapotoczny, Szczepan T1 - Photoinduced energy and electron transfer in micellar multilayer films JF - The journal of physical chemistry : C, Nanomaterials and interfaces N2 - Micellar multilayer films were prepared from an amphiphilic comb-like polycation ("polysoap") and the polyanion poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) using alternate polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly. Linear growth of the film thickness was evidenced by UV-vis spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Imaging by atomic force microscopy (AFM) indicated that the micellar conformation adopted by the polycation in solutions was preserved in the films. Thus, hydrophobic photoactive molecules, which were solubilized by the hydrophobic nanodomains of the micellar polymer prior to deposition, could be transferred into the films. Photoinduced energy transfer was observed in the nanostructured multilayers between naphthalene (donor) and perylene (acceptor) molecules embedded inside the polymer micelles. The efficiency of the energy transfer process can be controlled to some extent by introducing spacer layers between the layers containing the donor or acceptor, revealing partial stratification of the micellar LbL films. Also, photoinduced electron transfer was evidenced between perylene (donor) and butyl viologen (acceptor) molecules embedded inside the multilayers by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. The obtained photoactive nanostructures are promising candidates for solar-to-chemical energy conversion systems. Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/jp410808z SN - 1932-7447 VL - 118 IS - 4 SP - 2215 EP - 2221 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Heydari, Esmaeil A1 - Buller, Jens A1 - Wischerhoff, Erik A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Döring, Sebastian A1 - Stumpe, Joachim T1 - Label-Free biosensor based on an all-polymer DFB laser JF - Advanced optical materials KW - label-free biosensors KW - DFB lasers KW - active optical resonators KW - hydrogels KW - semiconducting polymers Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.201300454 SN - 2195-1071 VL - 2 IS - 2 SP - 137 EP - 141 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weiss, Jan A1 - Wienk, Hans A1 - Boelens, Rolf A1 - Laschewsky, André T1 - Block copolymer micelles with an intermediate star-/flower-like structure studied by H-1 NMR relaxometry JF - Macromolecular chemistry and physics N2 - H-1 NMR relaxation is used to study the self-assembly of a double thermoresponsive diblock copolymer in dilute aqueous solution. Above the first transition temperature, at which aggregation into micellar structures is observed, the trimethylsilyl (TMS)-labeled end group attached to the shell-forming block shows a biphasic T-2 relaxation. The slow contribution reflects the TMS groups located at the periphery of the hydrophilic shell, in agreement with a star-like micelle. The fast T-2 contribution corresponds to the TMS groups, which fold back toward the hydrophobic core, reflecting a flower-like micelle. These results confirm the formation of block copolymer micelles of an intermediate nature (i.e., of partial flower-like and star-like character), in which a part of the TMS end groups folds back to the core due to hydrophobic interactions. KW - block copolymers KW - polymer micelles KW - relaxation NMR spectroscopy KW - self-assembly KW - thermoresponsive materials Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.201300753 SN - 1022-1352 SN - 1521-3935 VL - 215 IS - 9 SP - 915 EP - 919 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ortmann, Thomas A1 - Ahrens, Heiko A1 - Milewski, Sven A1 - Lawrenz, Frank A1 - Groening, Andreas A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Garnier, Sebastien A1 - Helm, Christiane A. T1 - Lipid monolayers with adsorbed oppositely charged polyelectrolytes: Influence of reduced charge densities JF - Polymers N2 - Polyelectrolytes in dilute solutions (0.01 mmol/L) adsorb in a two-dimensional lamellar phase to oppositely charged lipid monolayers at the air/water interface. The interchain separation is monitored by Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction. On monolayer compression, the interchain separation decreases to a factor of two. To investigate the influence of the electrostatic interaction, either the line charge density of the polymer is reduced (a statistic copolymer with 90% and 50% charged monomers) or mixtures between charged and uncharged lipids are used (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC)/dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB)) On decrease of the surface charge density, the interchain separation increases, while on decrease of the linear charge density, the interchain separation decreases. The ratio between charged monomers and charged lipid molecules is fairly constant; it decreases up to 30% when the lipids are in the fluid phase. With decreasing surface charge or linear charge density, the correlation length of the lamellar order decreases. KW - lipid monolayer KW - polyelectrolyte adsorption KW - statistical copolymer KW - two-dimensional phases KW - surface charge KW - nematic phase KW - grazing incidence X-ray diffraction Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/polym6071999 SN - 2073-4360 VL - 6 IS - 7 SP - 1999 EP - 2017 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kyriakos, Konstantinos A1 - Aravopoulou, Dionysia A1 - Augsbach, Lukas A1 - Sapper, Josef A1 - Ottinger, Sarah A1 - Psylla, Christina A1 - Rafat, Ali Aghebat A1 - Benitez-Montoya, Carlos Adrian A1 - Miasnikova, Anna A1 - Di, Zhenyu A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter A1 - Kyritsis, Apostolos A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. T1 - Novel thermoresponsive block copolymers having different architectures-structural, rheological, thermal, and dielectric investigations JF - Colloid and polymer science : official journal of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft N2 - Thermoresponsive block copolymers comprising long, hydrophilic, nonionic poly(methoxy diethylene glycol acrylate) (PMDEGA) blocks and short hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) blocks are investigated in aqueous solution. Various architectures, namely diblock, triblock, and starblock copolymers are studied as well as a PMDEGA homopolymer as reference, over a wide concentration range. For specific characterization methods, polymers were labeled, either by partial deuteration (for neutron scattering studies) or by fluorophores. Using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, critical micellization concentrations are identified and the hydrodynamic radii of the micelles, r (h) (mic) , are determined. Using dynamic light scattering, the behavior of r (h) (mic) in dependence on temperature and the cloud points are measured. Small-angle neutron scattering enabled the detailed structural investigation of the micelles and their aggregates below and above the cloud point. Viscosity measurements are carried out to determine the activation energies in dependence on the molecular architecture. Differential scanning calorimetry at high polymer concentration reveals the glass transition of the polymers, the fraction of uncrystallized water and effects of the phase transition at the cloud point. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy shows that the polarization changes reversibly at the cloud point, which reflects the formation of large aggregates upon heating through the cloud point and their redissolution upon cooling. KW - Block copolymers KW - Thermoresponsive KW - Structural investigations KW - Mechanical properties KW - Thermal behavior KW - Dielectric properties Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-014-3282-0 SN - 0303-402X SN - 1435-1536 VL - 292 IS - 8 SP - 1757 EP - 1774 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kyriakos, Konstantinos A1 - Philipp, Martine A1 - Adelsberger, Joseph A1 - Jaksch, Sebastian A1 - Berezkin, Anatoly V. A1 - Lugo, Dersy M. A1 - Richtering, Walter A1 - Grillo, Isabelle A1 - Miasnikova, Anna A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. T1 - Cononsolvency of water/methanol mixtures for PNIPAM and PS-b-PNIPAM: pathway of aggregate formation investigated using time-resolved SANS JF - Macromolecules : a publication of the American Chemical Society N2 - We investigate the cononsolvency effect of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) in mixtures of water and methanol. Two systems are studied: micellar solutions of polystyrene-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PS-b-PNIPAM) diblock copolymers and, as a reference, solutions of PNIPAM homopolymers, both at a concentration of 20 mg/mL in DO. Using a stopped-flow instrument, fully deuterated methanol was rapidly added to these solutions at volume fractions between 10 and 20%. Time-resolved turbidimetry revealed aggregate formation within 10-100 s. The structural changes on mesoscopic length scales were followed by time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (TR-SANS) with a time resolution of 0.1 s. In both systems, the pathway of the aggregation depends on the content of deuterated methanol; however, it is fundamentally different for homopolymer and diblock copolymer solutions: In the former, very large aggregates (>150 nm) are formed within the dead time of the setup, gradient appears at their surface in the late stages. In contrast, the growth of the aggregates in the latter system features different regimes, and the final aggregate size is 50 nm, thus much smaller than for the homopolymer. For the diblock copolymer, the time dependence of the aggregate radius can be described by two models: In the initial stage, the diffusion-limited coalescence model describes the data well; however, the resulting coalescence time is unreasonably high. In the late stage, a logarithmic coalescence model based on an energy barrier which is proportional to the aggregate radius is successfully applied. and a concentration Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/ma501434e SN - 0024-9297 SN - 1520-5835 VL - 47 IS - 19 SP - 6867 EP - 6879 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Micciulla, Samantha A1 - Dodoo, Samuel A1 - Chevigny, Chloe A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - von Klitzing, Regine T1 - Short versus long chain polyelectrolyte multilayers: a direct comparison of self-assembly and structural properties JF - Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies N2 - Successful layer-by-layer (LbL) growth of short chain (similar to 30 repeat units per chain) poly(sodium styrene sulfonate) (PSS)-poly(diallyl dimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) multilayers is presented for the first time and compared with the growth of equivalent long chain polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs). A detailed study performed by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) is carried out and three main processes are identified: (i) initial mass uptake, (ii) adsorption desorption during layer equilibration and (iii) desorption during rinsing. In contrast to the high stability and strong layer increment of high molecular weight (HMW) PEMs, layer degradation characterizes low molecular weight (LMW) multilayers. In particular, two different instability phenomena are observed: a constant decrease of sensed mass during equilibration after PDADMAC adsorption, and a strong mass toss by salt-free rinsing after PSS adsorption. Yet, an increase of salt concentration leads to much stronger layer growth. First, when the rinsing medium is changed from pure water to 0.1 M NaCl, the mass loss during rinsing is reduced, irrespective of molecular weight. Second, an increase in salt concentration in the LMW PE solutions causes a larger increment during the initial adsorption step, with no effect on the rinsing. Finally, the mechanical properties of the two systems are extracted from the measured frequency and dissipation shifts, as they offer a deeper insight into the multilayer structures depending on chain length and outermost layer. The paper enriches the field of PE assembly by presenting the use of very short PE chains to form multilayers and elucidates the role of preparation conditions to overcome the limitation of layer stability. Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c4cp03439b SN - 1463-9076 SN - 1463-9084 VL - 16 IS - 40 SP - 21988 EP - 21998 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weiss, Jan A1 - Böttcher, Christoph A1 - Laschewsky, André T1 - Self-assembly of double thermoresponsive block copolymers end-capped with complementary trimethylsilyl groups JF - Soft matter N2 - A set of double thermoresponsive diblock copolymers poly(N-n-propylacrylamide)-block-poly(N-ethylacrylamide) (PNPAM-b-PNEAM) was synthesised by sequential reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerisations. Using a twofold trimethylsilyl (TMS)-labeled RAFT-agent, the relative size of the two blocks was varied. While soluble as unimers below 15 degrees C, all copolymers exhibited thermally induced two-step self-assembly in water, due to distinct lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase transitions of PNPAM (around 20 degrees C) and PNEAM (around 70 degrees C). Their temperature-dependent self-organisation in dilute aqueous solution was studied by turbidimetry, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The copolymers show distinct, two-step self-organisation behaviour with respect to transition temperatures, aggregate type and size, which can be correlated to the relative lengths of the low and high LCST blocks. For polymers having short blocks with low LCST, the first thermal transition induces the formation of individual micelles. Further heating above the second thermal transition results reversibly either in a shrink of the micelle size or in aggregation of the micelles, with hydrodynamic diameters below 250 nm. In contrast in the case of polymers having a long block with low LCST, the first thermal transition already leads to clusters of micelles, while the second thermal transition makes the clusters shrink. Noteworthy, the twofold TMS-labeled end groups report not only on the molar masses of the polymers, but can simultaneously serve as NMR-probes for the self-assembly process. The signal of the TMS-aryl end group displays a reversible temperature dependent, two-step splitting that is indicative of the self-organisation of the block copolymers. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c0sm00531b SN - 1744-683X VL - 7 IS - 2 SP - 483 EP - 492 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Buller, Jens A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Lutz, Jean-Francois A1 - Wischerhoff, Erik T1 - Tuning the lower critical solution temperature of thermoresponsive polymers by biospecific recognition JF - Polymer Chemistry N2 - A thermosensitive statistical copolymer based on oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylates incorporating biotin was synthesized by free radical copolymerisation. The influence of added avidin on its thermoresponsive behaviour was investigated. The specific binding of avidin to the biotinylated copolymers provoked a marked increase of the lower critical solution temperature. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c1py00001b SN - 1759-9954 VL - 2 IS - 7 SP - 1486 EP - 1489 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zehm, Daniel A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Heunemann, Peggy A1 - Gradzielski, Michael A1 - Prevost, Sylvain A1 - Liang, Hua A1 - Rabe, Jürgen P. A1 - Lutz, Jean-Francois T1 - Synthesis and self-assembly of amphiphilic semi-brush and dual brush block copolymers in solution and on surfaces JF - Polymer Chemistry N2 - The combination of two techniques of controlled free radical polymerization, namely the reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) and the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) techniques, together with the use of a macromonomer allowed the synthesis of symmetrical triblock copolymers, designed as amphiphilic dual brushes. One type of brush was made of poly(n-butyl acrylate) as soft hydrophobic block, i.e. characterized by a low glass transition temperature, while the other one was made of hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The new triblock polymers represent "giant surfactants" according to their molecular architecture. The hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks microphase separate in the bulk. In aqueous solution, they aggregate into globular micellar aggregates, their size being determined by the length of the stretched polymer molecules. As determined by the combination of various scattering techniques for the dual brush copolymer, a rather compact structure is formed, which is dominated by the large hydrophobic poly(n-butyl acrylate) block. The aggregation number for the dual brush is about 10 times larger than for the "semi-brush" precursor copolymer, due to the packing requirements for the much bulkier hydrophobic core. On mica surfaces the triblock copolymers adsorb with worm-like backbones and stretched out side chains. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c0py00200c SN - 1759-9954 VL - 2 IS - 1 SP - 137 EP - 147 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dodoo, S. A1 - Steitz, R. A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - von Klitzing, Regine T1 - Effect of ionic strength and type of ions on the structure of water swollen polyelectrolyte multilayers JF - Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies N2 - This study addresses the effect of ionic strength and type of ions on the structure and water content of polyelectrolyte multilayers. Polyelectrolyte multilayers of poly(sodium-4-styrene sulfonate) (PSS) and poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) prepared at different NaF, NaCl and NaBr concentrations have been investigated by neutron reflectometry against vacuum, H2O and D2O. Both thickness and water content of the multilayers increase with increasing ionic strength and increasing ion size. Two types of water were identified, "void water" which fills the voids of the multilayers and does not contribute to swelling but to a change in scattering length density and "swelling water" which directly contributes to swelling of the multilayers. The amount of void water decreases with increasing salt concentration and anion radius while the amount of swelling water increases with salt concentration and anion radius. This is interpreted as a denser structure in the dry state and larger ability to swell in water (sponge) for multilayers prepared from high ionic strengths and/or salt solution of large anions. No exchange of hydration water or replacement of H by D was detected even after eight hours incubation time in water of opposing isotopic composition. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c0cp01357a SN - 1463-9076 VL - 13 IS - 21 SP - 10318 EP - 10325 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Skrabania, Katja A1 - Miasnikova, Anna A1 - Bivigou Koumba, Achille Mayelle A1 - Zehm, Daniel A1 - Laschewsky, André T1 - Examining the UV-vis absorption of RAFT chain transfer agents and their use for polymer analysis JF - Polymer Chemistry N2 - The absorption characteristics of a large set of thiocarbonyl based chain transfer agents (CTAs) were studied by UV-vis spectroscopy in order to identify appropriate conditions for exploiting their absorbance bands in end-group analysis of polymers prepared by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerisation. Substitution pattern and solvent polarity were found to affect notably the wavelengths and intensities of the pi-pi*- and n-pi*-transition of the thiocarbonyl bond of dithioester and trithiocarbonate RAFT agents. Therefore, it is advisable to refer in end group analysis to the spectral parameters of low molar mass analogues of the active polymer chain ends, rather than to rely on the specific RAFT agent engaged in the polymerisation. When using appropriate conditions, the quantification of the thiocarbonyl end-groups via the pi-pi* band of the thiocarbonyl moiety around 300-310 nm allows a facile, sensitive and surprisingly precise estimation of the number average molar mass of the polymers produced, without the need of particular end group labels. Moreover, when additional methods for absolute molar mass determination can be applied, the quantification of the thiocarbonyl end-groups by UV-spectroscopy provides a good estimate of the degree of active end group for a given polymer sample. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c1py00173f SN - 1759-9954 VL - 2 IS - 9 SP - 2074 EP - 2083 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prevost, Sylvain A1 - Wattebled, Laurent A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Gradzielski, Michael T1 - Formation of monodisperse charged vesicles in mixtures of cationic gemini surfactants and anionic SDS JF - Langmuir N2 - The aggregation behavior of catanionics formed by the mixture of cationic geminis derived from dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC) and anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) was studied by means of phase studies and comprehensive small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments at 25 degrees C and 50 mM overall concentration. The results are compared to those for the previously studied SDS + DTAC system. Various gemini spacers of different natures and geometries were used, but all of them had similar lengths: an ethoxy bridge, a double bond, and an aromatic ring binding the two DTACs in three different substitutions (ortho, meta, and para). SANS and SAXS data analysis indicates that the spacer has no large effect on the spheroidal micelles of pure surfactants formed at low concentration in water; however, specific effects appear with the addition of electrolytes. Microstructures formed in the catanionic mixtures are rather strongly dependent on the nature of the spacer. The most important finding is that for the hydrophilic, flexible ethoxy bridge, monodisperse vesicles with a fixed anionic/cationic charge ratio (depending only on the surfactant in excess) are formed. Furthermore, the composition of these vesicles shows that strongly charged aggregates are formed. This study therefore provides new opportunities for developing tailor-made gemini surfactants that allow for the fine tuning of catanionic structures. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/la103976p SN - 0743-7463 VL - 27 IS - 2 SP - 582 EP - 591 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Glatzel, Stefan A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Lutz, Jean-Francois T1 - Well-Defined uncharged polymers with a sharp UCST in water and in physiological milieu JF - Macromolecules : a publication of the American Chemical Society Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/ma102677k SN - 0024-9297 VL - 44 IS - 2 SP - 413 EP - 415 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Adelsberger, Joseph A1 - Meier-Koll, Andreas A1 - Bivigou Koumba, Achille Mayelle A1 - Busch, Peter A1 - Holderer, Olaf A1 - Hellweg, Thomas A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. T1 - The collapse transition and the segmental dynamics in concentrated micellar solutions of P(S-b-NIPAM) diblock copolymers JF - Colloid and polymer science : official journal of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft N2 - We investigate concentrated solutions of poly(styrene-b-N-isopropyl acrylamide) (P(S-b-NIPAM)) diblock copolymers in deuterated water (D2O). Both structural changes and the changes of the segmental dynamics occurring upon heating through the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAM are studied using small-angle neutron scattering and neutron spin-echo spectroscopy. The collapse of the micellar shell and the cluster formation of collapsed micelles at the LCST as well as an increase of the segmental diffusion coefficient after crossing the LCST are detected. Comparing to our recent results on a triblock copolymer P(S-b-NIPAM-b-S) [25], we observe that the collapse transition of P(S-b-NIPAM) is more complex and that the PNIPAM segmental dynamics are faster than in P(S-b-NIPAM-b-S). KW - Block copolymers KW - Responsive polymers KW - Small-angle neutron scattering KW - Neutron spin-echo spectroscopy Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-011-2382-3 SN - 0303-402X VL - 289 IS - 5-6 SP - 711 EP - 720 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhong, Qi A1 - Wang, Weinan A1 - Adelsberger, Joseph A1 - Golosova, Anastasia A1 - Koumba, Achille M. Bivigou A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Funari, Sergio S. A1 - Perlich, Jan A1 - Roth, Stephan V. A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter T1 - Collapse transition in thin films of poly(methoxydiethylenglycol acrylate) JF - Colloid and polymer science : official journal of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft N2 - The thermal behavior of poly(methoxydiethylenglycol acrylate) (PMDEGA) is studied in thin hydrogel films on solid supports and is compared with the behavior in aqueous solution. The PMDEGA hydrogel film thickness is varied from 2 to 422 nm. Initially, these films are homogenous, as measured with optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray reflectivity, and grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). However, they tend to de-wet when stored under ambient conditions. Along the surface normal, no long-ranged correlations between substrate and film surface are detected with GISAXS, due to the high mobility of the polymer at room temperature. The swelling of the hydrogel films as a function of the water vapor pressure and the temperature are probed for saturated water vapor pressures between 2,380 and 3,170 Pa. While the swelling capability is found to increase with water vapor pressure, swelling in dependence on the temperature revealed a collapse phase transition of a lower critical solution temperature type. The transition temperature decreases from 40.6 A degrees C to 36.6 A degrees C with increasing film thickness, but is independent of the thickness for very thin films below a thickness of 40 nm. The observed transition temperature range compares well with the cloud points observed in dilute (0.1 wt.%) and semi-dilute (5 wt.%) solution which decrease from 45 A degrees C to 39 A degrees C with increasing concentration. KW - Hydrogel KW - Thin film KW - Thermoresponsive KW - LCST behavior KW - GISAXS KW - AFM Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-011-2384-1 SN - 0303-402X VL - 289 IS - 5-6 SP - 569 EP - 581 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Marsat, Jean-Noel A1 - Heydenreich, Matthias A1 - Kleinpeter, Erich A1 - Berlepsch, Hans V. A1 - Boettcher, Christoph A1 - Laschewsky, André T1 - Self-Assembly into multicompartment micelles and selective solubilization by Hydrophilic-Lipophilic-Fluorophilic block copolymers JF - Macromolecules : a publication of the American Chemical Society N2 - Amphiphilic linear ternary block copolymers (ABC) were synthesized in three consecutive steps by the reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) method. Using oligo(ethylene oxide) monomethyl ether acrylate, benzyl acrylate, and 1H,1H-perfluorobutyl acrylate monomers, the triblock copolymers consist of a hydrophilic (A), a lipophilic (B), and a fluorophilic (C) block. The block sequence of the triphilic copolymers was varied systematically to provide all possible variations: ABC, ACB, and BAC. All blocks have glass transition temperatures below 0 degrees C. Self-assembly into spherical micellar aggregates was observed in aqueous solution, where hydrophobic cores undergo local phase separation into various ultrastructures as shown by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). Selective solubilization of substantial quantities of hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon low molar mass compounds by the lipophilic and fluorophilic block, respectively, is demonstrated. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/ma200032j SN - 0024-9297 VL - 44 IS - 7 SP - 2092 EP - 2105 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weiss, Jan A1 - Laschewsky, André T1 - Temperature-induced self-assembly of triple-responsive triblock copolymers in aqueous solutions JF - Langmuir N2 - A series of triple-thermoresponsive triblock copolymers from poly(N-n-propylacrylamide) (PNPAM, A), poly(methoxydiethylene glycol acrylate) (PMDEGA, B), and poly(N-ethylacrylamide) (PNEAM, C) was synthesized by sequential reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerizations. Polymers of differing block sequences, ABC, BAC, and ACB, with increasing phase transition temperatures in the order A < B < C were prepared. Their aggregation behavior in dilute aqueous solution was investigated using dynamic light scattering, turbidimetry, and NMR spectroscopy. The self-organization of such polymers was found to dependent strongly on the block sequence. While polymers with a terminal low-LCST (lower critical solution temperature) block undergo aggregation above the first phase transition temperature at 20-25 degrees C, triblock copolymers with the low-LCST block in the middle show aggregation only above the second phase transition. The collapse of the middle block is not sufficient to induce aggregation but produces instead stable, unimolecular micelles with a collapsed middle block, as supported by NMR and fluorescence probe data. Continued heating of all copolymers led to two additional thermal transitions at 40-55 and 70-80 degrees C, which could be correlated to the phase transitions of the B and C blocks, respectively. All polymers show a high tendency for cluster formation, once aggregation is induced. The carrier abilities of the triple responsive triblock copolymers for hydrophobic agents were probed with the solvatochromic fluorescence dye Nile Red. With passing through the first thermal transition, the block copolymers are capable of solubilizing Nile Red. In the case of block copolymers with sequences ABC or ACB, which bear the low-LCST block at one terminus, notable amounts of dye are solubilized already at this stage. In contrast, the hydrophobic probe is much less efficiently incorporated by the BAC triblock copolymer, which forms unimolecular micelles. Only after the collapse of the B block, when reaching the second phase transition at about 45 degrees C, does aggregation occur and solubilization becomes efficient. In the case of ABC and ACB polymers, the hydrophobic probe seems to partition between the originally collapsed A chains and the additional hydrophobic chains formed after the collapse of the less hydrophobic B block. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/la200115p SN - 0743-7463 VL - 27 IS - 8 SP - 4465 EP - 4473 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kristen-Hochrein, Nora A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Miller, Reinhard A1 - von Klitzing, Regine T1 - Stability of foam Films of oppositely charged polyelectrolyte/surfactant mixtures - effect of isoelectric point JF - The journal of physical chemistry : B, Condensed matter, materials, surfaces, interfaces & biophysical chemistry N2 - In the present paper, the influence of the surfactant concentration and the degree of charge of a polymer on foam film properties of oppositely charged polyelectrolyte/surfactant mixtures has been investigated. To verify the assumption that the position of the isoelectric point (IEP) does not change the character of the foam film stabilities, the position of the IEP of the polyelectrolyte/surfactant mixtures has been shifted in two different ways. Within the first series of experiments, the foam. film properties were studied using a fixed surfactant concentration of 3 x 10(-5) M in the mixture. Due to the low surfactant concentration, this is a rather dilute system. In the second approach, a copolymer of nonionic and ionic monomer units was Used to lower the charge density of the polymer. This gave rise to additional interactions between the polyelectrolyte and the surfactant, which makes the description of the foam film behavior more complex. In both systems, the same characteristics of the foam film stabilities were found: The foam film stability is reduced toward the IEP of the system, followed by a destabilization around the IEP., At polyelectrolyte concentrations above the IEP, foam films are very stable. However, the concentration range where unstable films were formed was rather broad, and the mechanisms leading to the destabilization had different origins. The results were compared with former findings on PAMPS/C(14)TAB mixtures with an IEP of 10(-4)M.(1) Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/jp206964k SN - 1520-6106 VL - 115 IS - 49 SP - 14475 EP - 14483 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zehm, Daniel A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Liang, Hua A1 - Rabe, Jürgen P. T1 - Straightforward access to amphiphilic dual bottle brushes by combining RAFT, ATRP, and NMP polymerization in one sequence JF - Macromolecules : a publication of the American Chemical Society N2 - Molecular brush diblock copolymers were synthesized by the orthogonal overlay of the RAFT (reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer), the ATRP (atom transfer radical polymerization), and the NMP (nitroxide-mediated polymerization) techniques. This unique combination enabled the synthesis of the complex amphiphilic polymers without the need of postpolymerization modifications, using a diblock copolymer intermediate made from two selectively addressable inimers and applying a sequence of four controlled free radical polymerization steps in total. The resulting polymers are composed of a thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) brush as hydrophilic block and a polystyrene brush as hydrophobic block, thus translating the structure of the established amphiphilic diblock copolymers known as macro surfactants to the higher size level of "giant surfactants". The dual molecular brushes and the aggregates formed on ultra flat solid substrates were visualized by scanning force microscopy (SFM). Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/ma2015613 SN - 0024-9297 VL - 44 IS - 24 SP - 9635 EP - 9641 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Herfurth, Christoph A1 - Voll, Dominik A1 - Buller, Jens A1 - Weiss, Jan A1 - Barner-Kowollik, Christopher A1 - Laschewsky, André T1 - Radical addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of ferrocenyl (meth)acrylates JF - Journal of polymer science : A, Polymer chemistry N2 - We report on the controlled free radical homopolymerization of 1-ferrocenylethyl acrylate as well as of three new ferrocene bearing monomers, namely 4-ferrocenylbutyl acrylate, 2-ferrocenylamido-2-methylpropyl acrylate, and 4-ferrocenylbutyl methacrylate, by the RAFT technique. For comparison, the latter monomer was polymerized using ATRP, too. The ferrocene containing monomers were found to be less reactive than their analogues free of ferrocene. The reasons for the low polymerizability are not entirely clear. As the addition of free ferrocene to the reaction mixture did not notably affect the polymerizations, sterical hindrance by the bulky ferrocene moiety fixed on the monomers seems to be the most probable explanation. Molar masses found for 1-ferrocenylethyl acrylate did not exceed 10,000 g mol(-1), while for 4-ferrocenylbutyl (meth) acrylate molar masses of 15,000 g mol(-1) could be obtained. With PDIs as low as 1.3 in RAFT polymerization of the monomers, good control over the polymerization was achieved. KW - ferrocene KW - living radical polymerization (LRP) KW - monomers KW - radical addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) KW - radical polymerization KW - redox polymers KW - synthesis Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.24994 SN - 0887-624X VL - 50 IS - 1 SP - 108 EP - 118 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Malden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weiss, Jan A1 - Li, Ang A1 - Wischerhoff, Erik A1 - Laschewsky, André T1 - Water-soluble random and alternating copolymers of styrene monomers with adjustable lower critical solution temperature JF - Polymer Chemistry N2 - Random copolymers of 4-vinylbenzyl tri(oxyethylene) and tetra(oxyethylene) ethers, as well as alternating copolymers of 4-vinylbenzyl methoxytetra(oxyethylene) ether and a series of N-substituted maleimides, were synthesised by conventional free radical polymerisation, reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) and atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP). Their thermosensitive behaviour in aqueous solution was studied by turbidimetry and dynamic light scattering. Depending on the copolymer composition, a LCST type phase transition was observed in water. The transition temperature of the obtained random as well as alternating copolymers could be varied within a broad temperature window. In the case of the random copolymers, transition temperatures could be easily fine-tuned, as they showed a linear dependence on the copolymer composition, and were additionally modified by the nature of the polymer end-groups. Alternating copolymers were extremely versatile for implementing a broad range of variations of the phase transition temperatures. Further, while alternating copolymers derived from 4-vinylbenzyl methoxytetra(oxyethylene) ether and maleimides with small hydrophobic side chains underwent macroscopic phase separation when dissolved in water and heated above their cloud point, the incorporation of maleimides bearing larger hydrophobic substituents resulted in the formation of mesoglobules above the phase transition temperature, with hydrodynamic diameters of less than 100 nm. Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c1py00422k SN - 1759-9954 VL - 3 IS - 2 SP - 352 EP - 361 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhong, Qi A1 - Metwalli, Ezzeldin A1 - Kaune, Gunar A1 - Rawolle, Monika A1 - Bivigou Koumba, Achille Mayelle A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. A1 - Cubitt, Robert A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter T1 - Switching kinetics of thin thermo-responsive hydrogel films of poly(monomethoxy-diethyleneglycol-acrylate) probed with in situ neutron reflectivity JF - Soft matter N2 - The switching kinetics of thin thermo-responsive hydrogel films of poly(monomethoxy-diethyleneglycol-acrylate) (PMDEGA) are investigated. Homogeneous and smooth PMDEGA films with a thickness of 35.9 nm are prepared on silicon substrates by spin coating. As probed with white light interferometry, PMDEGA films with a thickness of 35.9 nm exhibit a phase transition temperature of the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) type of 40 degrees C. In situ neutron reflectivity is performed to investigate the thermo-responsive behavior of these PMDEGA hydrogel films in response to a sudden thermal stimulus in deuterated water vapor atmosphere. The collapse transition proceeds in a complex way which can be seen as three steps. The first step is the shrinkage of the initially swollen film by a release of water. In the second step the thickness remains constant with water molecules embedded in the film. In the third step, perhaps due to a conformational rearrangement of the collapsed PMDEGA chains, water is reabsorbed from the vapor atmosphere, thereby giving rise to a relaxation process. Both the shrinkage and relaxation processes can be described by a simple model of hydrogel deswelling. Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c2sm25401h SN - 1744-683X VL - 8 IS - 19 SP - 5241 EP - 5249 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Herfurth, Christoph A1 - de Molina, Paula Malo A1 - Wieland, Christoph A1 - Rogers, Sarah A1 - Gradzielski, Michael A1 - Laschewsky, André T1 - One-step RAFT synthesis of well-defined amphiphilic star polymers and their self-assembly in aqueous solution JF - Polymer Chemistry N2 - Multifunctional chain transfer agents for RAFT polymerisation were designed for the one-step synthesis of amphiphilic star polymers. Thus, hydrophobically end-capped 3- and 4-arm star polymers, as well as linear ones for reference, were made of the hydrophilic monomer N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) in high yield with molar masses up to 150 000 g mol(-1), narrow molar mass distribution (PDI <= 1.2) and high end group functionality (similar to 90%). The associative telechelic polymers form transient networks of interconnected aggregates in aqueous solution, thus acting as efficient viscosity enhancers and rheology modifiers, eventually forming hydrogels. The combination of dynamic light scattering (DLS), small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and rheology experiments revealed that several molecular parameters control the structure and therefore the physical properties of the aggregates. In addition to the size of the hydrophilic block (maximum length for connection) and the length of the hydrophobic alkyl chain ends (stickiness), the number of arms (functionality) proved to be a key parameter. Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c2py20126g SN - 1759-9954 VL - 3 IS - 6 SP - 1606 EP - 1617 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Adelsberger, Joseph A1 - Metwalli, Ezzeldin A1 - Diethert, Alexander A1 - Grillo, Isabelle A1 - Bivigou Koumba, Achille Mayelle A1 - Laschewsky, André A1 - Müller-Buschbaum, Peter A1 - Papadakis, Christine M. T1 - Kinetics of collapse transition and cluster formation in a thermoresponsive micellar solution of P(S-b-NIPAM-b-S) induced by a temperature jump JF - Macromolecular rapid communications N2 - Structural changes at the intra- as well as intermicellar level were induced by the LCST-type collapse transition of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) in ABA triblock copolymer micelles in water. The distinct process kinetics was followed in situ and in real-time using time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), while a micellar solution of a triblock copolymer, consisting of two short deuterated polystyrene endblocks and a long thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) middle block, was heated rapidly above its cloud point. A very fast collapse together with a multistep aggregation behavior is observed. The findings of the transition occurring at several size and time levels may have implications for the design and application of such thermoresponsive self-assembled systems. KW - polymer physics KW - thermoresponsive polymers KW - small-angle neutron scattering KW - time-resolved measurements Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.201100631 SN - 1022-1336 VL - 33 IS - 3 SP - 254 EP - 259 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Malden ER -