ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Effects of denaturing acid on the self-association behaviour of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(γ-benzyl l-glutamate)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer in ethanol

Guo-Quan Zhu, Qiao-Chun Gao, Fa-Gang Wang, Guo-Chang Li, and Ping Wang

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049 China

E-mail: guoquanzhu111@163.com

Abstract: Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(γ-benzyl l-glutamate)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-b-PBLG-g-PEG) copolymer was synthesised by the ester exchange reaction of PEG-block-PBLG copolymer with mPEG. The self-association behaviour of PEG-b-PBLG-g-PEG in mixtures of ethanol, chloroform, and trifluoroacetic acid as denaturing acid was investigated by transmission electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and viscometry. It was revealed that the increase in denaturing acid content in the mixed system not only promoted the critical micelle concentration but also changed the morphology of the polymeric micelles from elliptical to spherical.

Keywords: copolymer – denaturing acid – PEG-b-PBLG-g-PEG – self-association behaviour – mixed system

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-011-0021-6

Chemical Papers 65 (4) 477–482 (2011)