In-Depth Analysis of the Effect of Fragmentation on the Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly Growth Kinetics of 1D Micelles Studied by Seed Trapping
Studying the growth of 1D structures formed by the self-assembly of crystalline-coil block copolymers in solution at elevated temperatures is a challenging task. Like most 1D fibril structures, they fragment and dissolve when the solution is heated, creating a mixture of surviving crystallites and f...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/18/3122 |
| _version_ | 1797517408323239936 |
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| author | Gerald Guerin Paul A. Rupar Mitchell A. Winnik |
| author_facet | Gerald Guerin Paul A. Rupar Mitchell A. Winnik |
| author_sort | Gerald Guerin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Studying the growth of 1D structures formed by the self-assembly of crystalline-coil block copolymers in solution at elevated temperatures is a challenging task. Like most 1D fibril structures, they fragment and dissolve when the solution is heated, creating a mixture of surviving crystallites and free polymer chains. However, unlike protein fibrils, no new nuclei are formed upon cooling and only the surviving crystallites regrow. Here, we report how trapping these crystallites at elevated temperatures allowed us to study their growth kinetics at different annealing times and for different amounts of unimer added. We developed a model describing the growth kinetics of these crystallites that accounts for fragmentation accompanying the 1D growth process. We show that the growth kinetics follow a stretched exponential law that may be due to polymer fractionation. In addition, by evaluating the micelle growth rate as a function of the concentration of unimer present in solution, we could conclude that the micelle growth occurred in the mononucleation regime. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:16:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-341ef44891294d2ebd618b0a5b60115a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:16:12Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-341ef44891294d2ebd618b0a5b60115a2023-11-22T14:56:29ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602021-09-011318312210.3390/polym13183122In-Depth Analysis of the Effect of Fragmentation on the Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly Growth Kinetics of 1D Micelles Studied by Seed TrappingGerald Guerin0Paul A. Rupar1Mitchell A. Winnik2Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, ChinaDepartment of Chemistry, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USADepartment of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, CanadaStudying the growth of 1D structures formed by the self-assembly of crystalline-coil block copolymers in solution at elevated temperatures is a challenging task. Like most 1D fibril structures, they fragment and dissolve when the solution is heated, creating a mixture of surviving crystallites and free polymer chains. However, unlike protein fibrils, no new nuclei are formed upon cooling and only the surviving crystallites regrow. Here, we report how trapping these crystallites at elevated temperatures allowed us to study their growth kinetics at different annealing times and for different amounts of unimer added. We developed a model describing the growth kinetics of these crystallites that accounts for fragmentation accompanying the 1D growth process. We show that the growth kinetics follow a stretched exponential law that may be due to polymer fractionation. In addition, by evaluating the micelle growth rate as a function of the concentration of unimer present in solution, we could conclude that the micelle growth occurred in the mononucleation regime.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/18/3122block copolymerscrystallization-driven self-assemblykineticsfragmentationgrowth |
| spellingShingle | Gerald Guerin Paul A. Rupar Mitchell A. Winnik In-Depth Analysis of the Effect of Fragmentation on the Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly Growth Kinetics of 1D Micelles Studied by Seed Trapping Polymers block copolymers crystallization-driven self-assembly kinetics fragmentation growth |
| title | In-Depth Analysis of the Effect of Fragmentation on the Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly Growth Kinetics of 1D Micelles Studied by Seed Trapping |
| title_full | In-Depth Analysis of the Effect of Fragmentation on the Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly Growth Kinetics of 1D Micelles Studied by Seed Trapping |
| title_fullStr | In-Depth Analysis of the Effect of Fragmentation on the Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly Growth Kinetics of 1D Micelles Studied by Seed Trapping |
| title_full_unstemmed | In-Depth Analysis of the Effect of Fragmentation on the Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly Growth Kinetics of 1D Micelles Studied by Seed Trapping |
| title_short | In-Depth Analysis of the Effect of Fragmentation on the Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly Growth Kinetics of 1D Micelles Studied by Seed Trapping |
| title_sort | in depth analysis of the effect of fragmentation on the crystallization driven self assembly growth kinetics of 1d micelles studied by seed trapping |
| topic | block copolymers crystallization-driven self-assembly kinetics fragmentation growth |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/18/3122 |
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