Study on Self-assembly of Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(γ-benzylL-glutamate)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) Copolymer and Poly(γ-benzylL-glutamate)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) Copolymer in Ethanol

Abstract

Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-b-PBLG-g-PEG) copolymer was synthesized by the ester exchange reaction of poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PBLG-block-PEG) copolymer with PEG chain, and PBLG-block-PEG copolymer was prepared by a standard N-carboxyl-γ-benzyl-L-glutamate anhydride (NCA) method. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to confirm the components of PBLG-block-PEG and PEG-b-PBLG-g-PEG. The self-association behaviors of PBLG-block-PEG and PEG-b-PBLG-g-PEG in ethanol were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic laser scattering (DLS), and viscometry. The experimental results revealed that the different molecular structures could exert marked effects on the self-assembly behaviors of PBLG-block-PEG and PEG-b-PBLG-g-PEG in ethanol. PBLG-block-PEG and PEG-b-PBLG-g-PEG could self-assemble to form polymeric micelles with a core-shell structure in the shapes of plump spherical and regular rice-like, respectively. Effects of the introduction of PBLG homopolymer on the average particle diameter of the micelles of PBLG-block-PEG and PEG-b-PBLG-g-PEG and influence of testing temperature on the critical micelle concentration of different copolymers were studied.