TY - JOUR A1 - Machatschek, Rainhard Gabriel A1 - Saretia, Shivam A1 - Lendlein, Andreas T1 - Assessing the influence of temperature-memory creation on the degradation of copolyesterurethanes in ultrathin films JF - Advanced materials interfaces N2 - Copolyesterurethanes (PDLCLs) based on oligo(epsilon-caprolactone) (OCL) and oligo(omega-pentadecalactone) (OPDL) segments are biodegradable thermoplastic temperature-memory polymers. The temperature-memory capability in these polymers with crystallizable control units is implemented by a thermomechanical programming process causing alterations in the crystallite arrangement and chain organization. These morphological changes can potentially affect degradation. Initial observations on the macroscopic level inspire the hypothesis that switching of the controlling units causes an accelerated degradation of the material, resulting in programmable degradation by sequential coupling of functions. Hence, detailed degradation studies on Langmuir films of a PDLCL with 40 wt% OPDL content are carried out under enzymatic catalysis. The temperature-memory creation procedure is mimicked by compression at different temperatures. The evolution of the chain organization and mechanical properties during the degradation process is investigated by means of polarization-modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, interfacial rheology and to some extend by X-ray reflectivity. The experiments on PDLCL Langmuir films imply that degradability is not enhanced by thermal switching, as the former depends on the temperature during cold programming. Nevertheless, the thin film experiments show that the leaching of OCL segments does not induce further crystallization of the OPDL segments, which is beneficial for a controlled and predictable degradation. KW - block copolymers KW - degradation KW - Langmuir monolayers KW - rheology KW - temperature-memory polymers Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202001926 SN - 2196-7350 VL - 8 IS - 6 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Keckeis, Philipp A1 - Zeller, Enriko A1 - Jung, Carina A1 - Besirske, Patricia A1 - Kirner, Felizitas A1 - Ruiz-Agudo, Cristina A1 - Schlaad, Helmut A1 - Cölfen, Helmut T1 - Modular toolkit of multifunctional block copoly(2-oxazoline)s for the synthesis of nanoparticles JF - Chemistry - a European journal N2 - Post-polymerization modification provides an elegant way to introduce chemical functionalities onto macromolecules to produce tailor-made materials with superior properties. This concept was adapted to well-defined block copolymers of the poly(2-oxazoline) family and demonstrated the large potential of these macromolecules as universal toolkit for numerous applications. Triblock copolymers with separated water-soluble, alkyne- and alkene-containing segments were synthesized and orthogonally modified with various low-molecular weight functional molecules by copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) and thiol-ene (TE) click reactions, respectively. Representative toolkit polymers were used for the synthesis of gold, iron oxide and silica nanoparticles. KW - block copolymers KW - click chemistry KW - nanoparticles KW - ring-opening KW - polymerization KW - surfactants Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202101327 SN - 0947-6539 SN - 1521-3765 VL - 27 IS - 32 SP - 8283 EP - 8287 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dai, Xiaolin A1 - Mate, Diana M. A1 - Glebe, Ulrich A1 - Garakani, Tayebeh Mirzaei A1 - Körner, Andrea A1 - Schwaneberg, Ulrich A1 - Böker, Alexander T1 - Sortase-mediated ligation of purely artificial building blocks JF - Polymers N2 - Sortase A (SrtA) from Staphylococcus aureus has been often used for ligating a protein with other natural or synthetic compounds in recent years. Here we show that SrtA-mediated ligation (SML) is universally applicable for the linkage of two purely artificial building blocks. Silica nanoparticles (NPs), poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) are chosen as synthetic building blocks. As a proof of concept, NP-polymer, NP-NP, and polymer-polymer structures are formed by SrtA catalysis. Therefore, the building blocks are equipped with the recognition sequence needed for SrtA reaction-the conserved peptide LPETG-and a pentaglycine motif. The successful formation of the reaction products is shown by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The sortase catalyzed linkage of artificial building blocks sets the stage for the development of a new approach to link synthetic structures in cases where their synthesis by established chemical methods is complicated. KW - sortase-mediated ligation KW - enzymes KW - block copolymers KW - nanoparticles Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10020151 SN - 2073-4360 VL - 10 IS - 2 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Garnier, Sebastien A1 - Laschewsky, Andre T1 - Non-ionic amphiphilic block copolymers by RAFT-polymerization and their self-organization JF - Colloid and polymer science : official journal of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft N2 - Water-soluble, amphiphilic diblock copolymers were synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. They consist of poly(butyl acrylate) as hydrophobic block with a low glass transition temperature and three different nonionic water-soluble blocks, namely, the classical hydrophilic block poly(dimethylacrylamide), the strongly hydrophilic poly(acryloyloxyethyl methylsulfoxide), and the thermally sensitive poly(N-acryloylpyrrolidine). Aqueous micellar solutions of the block copolymers were prepared and characterized by static and dynamic light scattering analysis (DLS and SLS). No critical micelle concentration could be detected. The micellization was thermodynamically favored, although kinetically slow, exhibiting a marked dependence on the preparation conditions. The polymers formed micelles with a hydrodynamic diameter from 20 to 100 nm, which were stable upon dilution. The micellar size was correlated with the composition of the block copolymers and their overall molar mass. The micelles formed with the two most hydrophilic blocks were particularly stable upon temperature cycles, whereas the thermally sensitive poly(N-acryloylpyrrolidine) block showed a temperature-induced precipitation. According to combined SLS and DLS analysis, the micelles exhibited an elongated shape such as rods or worms. It should be noted that the block copolymers with the most hydrophilic poly(sulfoxide) block formed inverse micelles in certain organic solvents. KW - macrosurfactants KW - block copolymers KW - micelles KW - inverse micelles KW - sulfoxide Y1 - 2006 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-006-1484-9 SN - 0303-402X VL - 284 SP - 1243 EP - 1254 PB - Springer CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wagner, Tom A1 - Oded, Meirav A1 - Shenhar, Roy A1 - Böker, Alexander T1 - Two-dimensionally ordered AuNP array formation via microcontact printing on lamellar diblock copolymer films JF - Polymers for advanced technologies N2 - The construction of nano-sized, two-dimensionally ordered nanoparticle (NP) superstructures is important for various advanced applications such as photonics, sensing, catalysis, or nano-circuitry. Currently, such structures are fabricated using the templated organization approach, in which the templates are mainly created by photo-lithography or laser-lithography and other invasive top-down etching procedures. In this work, we present an alternative bottom-up preparation method for the controlled deposition of NPs into hierarchical structures. Lamellar polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridinium) thin films featuring alternating stripes of neutral PS and positively charged P2VP domains serve as templates, allowing for the selective adsorption of negatively charged gold NPs. Dense NP assembly is achieved by a simple immersion process, whereas two-dimensionally ordered arrays of NPs are realized by microcontact printing (mu CP), utilizing periodic polydimethylsiloxane wrinkle grooves loaded with gold NPs. This approach enables the facile construction of hierarchical NP arrays with variable geometries. Copyright (C) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KW - block copolymers KW - electrostatic assembly KW - microcontact printing KW - gold nanoparticles Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/pat.3853 SN - 1042-7147 SN - 1099-1581 VL - 28 SP - 623 EP - 628 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wagner, Tom A1 - Lazar, Jaroslav A1 - Schnakenberg, Uwe A1 - Böker, Alexander T1 - In situ Electrothemical Impedance Spectroscopy of Electrostatically Driven Selective Gold Nanoparticle Adsorption on Block Copolymer Lamellae JF - Trials N2 - Electrostatic attraction between charged nano particles and oppositely charged nanopatterned polymeric films enables tailored structuring of functional nanoscopic surfaces. The bottom-up fabrication of organic/inorganic composites for example bears promising potential toward cheap fabrication of catalysts, optical sensors, and the manufacture of miniaturized electric circuitry. However, only little is known about the time-dependent adsorption behavior and the electronic or ionic charge transfer in the film bulk and at interfaces during nanoparticle assembly via electrostatic interactions. In situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in combination with a microfluidic system for fast and reproducible liquid delivery was thus applied to monitor the selective deposition of negatively charged gold nanoparticles on top of positively charged poly(2-vinylpyridinium) (qP2VP) domains of phase separated lamellar poly(styrene)-block-poly(2-vinylpyridinium) (PS-b-qP2VP) diblock copolymer thin films. The acquired impedance data delivered information with respect to interfacial charge alteration, ionic diffusion, and the charge dependent nanoparticle adsorption kinetics, considering this yet unexplored system. We demonstrate that the selective adsorption of negatively charged gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on positively charged qP2VP domains of lamellar PS-b-qP2VP thin films can indeed be tracked by EIS. Moreover, we show that the nanoparticle adsorption kinetics and the nanoparticle packing density are functions of the charge density in the qP2VP domains. KW - impedance spectroscopy KW - block copolymers KW - nanoparticles KW - electrostatics KW - adsorption kinetics Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6b07708 SN - 1944-8244 VL - 8 SP - 27282 EP - 27290 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Brosnan, Sarah M. A1 - Schlaad, Helmut A1 - Antonietti, Markus T1 - Aqueous Self-Assembly of Purely Hydrophilic Block Copolymers into Giant Vesicles JF - Angewandte Chemie : a journal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker ; International edition N2 - Self-assembly of macromolecules is fundamental to life itself, and historically, these systems have been primitively mimicked by the development of amphiphilic systems, driven by the hydrophobic effect. Herein, we demonstrate that self-assembly of purely hydrophilic systems can be readily achieved with similar ease and success. We have synthesized double hydrophilic block copolymers from polysaccharides and poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(sarcosine) to yield high molar mass diblock copolymers through oxime chemistry. These hydrophilic materials can easily assemble into nanosized (<500nm) and microsized (>5m) polymeric vesicles depending on concentration and diblock composition. Because of the solely hydrophilic nature of these materials, we expect them to be extraordinarily water permeable systems that would be well suited for use as cellular mimics. KW - block copolymers KW - polymersomes KW - polysaccharides KW - self-assembly KW - vesicles Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201502100 SN - 1433-7851 SN - 1521-3773 VL - 54 IS - 33 SP - 9715 EP - 9718 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Liedel, Clemens A1 - Lewin, Christian A1 - Tsarkova, Larisa A1 - Böker, Alexander T1 - Reversible Switching of Block Copolymer Nanopatterns by Orthogonal Electric Fields JF - Small N2 - It is demonstrated that the orientation of striped patterns can be reversibly switched between two perpendicular in-plane orientations upon exposure to electric fields. The results on thin films of symmetric polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinyl pyridine) polymer in the intermediate segregation regime disclose two types of reorientation mechanisms from perpendicular to parallel relative to the electric field orientation. Domains orient via grain rotation and via formation of defects such as stretched undulations and temporal phase transitions. The contribution of additional fields to the structural evolution is also addressed to elucidate the generality of the observed phenomena. In particular solvent effects are considered. This study reveals the stabilization of the meta-stable in-plane oriented lamella due to sequential swelling and quenching of the film. Further, the reorientation behavior of lamella domains blended with selective nanoparticles is addressed, which affect the interfacial tensions of the blocks and hence introduce another internal field to the studied system. Switching the orientation of aligned block copolymer patterns between two orthogonal directions may open new applications of nanomaterials as switchable electric nanowires or optical gratings. KW - alignments KW - block copolymers KW - electric fields KW - reorientation KW - solvent vapor annealing KW - polymers Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.201502259 SN - 1613-6810 SN - 1613-6829 VL - 11 IS - 45 SP - 6058 EP - 6064 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 - Schreiber, Ulrike A1 - Hosemann, Benjamin A1 - Beuermann, Sabine T1 - 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorodecyl-Acrylate-Containing block copolymers from ARGET ATRP JF - Macromolecular chemistry and physics N2 - Block copolymers of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyl acrylate (AC8) were obtained from ARGET ATRP. To obtain block copolymers of low dispersity the PAC8 block was synthesized in anisole with a CuBr(2)/PMDETA catalyst in the presence of tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate as a reducing agent. The PAC8 block was subsequently used as macroinitiator for copolymerization with butyl and tert-butyl acrylate carried out in scCO(2). To achieve catalyst solubility in CO(2) two fluorinated ligands were employed. The formation of block copolymers was confirmed by size exclusion chromatography and DSC. KW - atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) KW - block copolymers KW - fluoropolymers KW - supercritical carbon dioxide Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.201000307 SN - 1022-1352 VL - 212 IS - 2 SP - 168 EP - 179 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER -