Interfacial behaviour of block polyelectrolytes, III. Formation of surface micelles

Structure-rheology relationship in weakly amphiphilic block copolymer Langmuir monolayers

The linear viscoelastic behavior in the low-frequency regime at the water/air interface of three different polystyrene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) copolymer monolayers, with block length ratio varying from 66-33 to 50-50 and 25-75 in molecular units, was studied and related to the interfacial behavior, characterized by means of Langmuir isotherms, and their structure, characterized by means of the atomic force microscopy technique. The two monolayers with the highest PMMA amount showed a single phase transition at about 12 mN/m, the viscoelastic behavior changing from a predominantly elastic to a viscoelastic one. This change in the viscoelastic properties was ascribed to the beginning of entanglement among the PMMA coronas of the predominantly circular quasi-2D micelles formed by the two copolymer systems. Conversely, the polymer with the lowest PMMA amount, despite having the same PMMA block length of the PS-PMMA 50-50 block copolymer, was found to behave as a viscoelastic system at any surface pressure value. This characteristic behavior cannot therefore be simply related to the molecular weight difference, but it has been put in connection to the irregular micelle structure observed in this case, consisting of a mixture of spherical and wormlike micelles, and to the different conformation adopted by the PMMA block. By blending this copolymer with an immiscible elastic homopolymer, namely poly(2-vinylpyridine), it was possible to tune the micelle nanostructure, obtaining regular circular quasi-2D micelles, with viscoelastic properties as expected for the PMMA-rich copolymer monolayers. To the best of our knowledge, this study shows for the first time the explicit dependence upon the relative block length and, in turn, upon the nanostructure of the quasi-2D micelles, of the viscoelastic properties of Langmuir monolayers and suggests that molecular weight and intermolecular interactions are not the only parameters governing the polymer conformation and, in turn, the polymer rheology and dynamics in quasi-2D confined systems.

Toroid morphology by ABC-type amphiphilic rod-coil molecules at the air-water interface

The interfacial and aggregation behavior of the ABC-type amphiphilic molecules with semirigid dumbbell-shaped core and variable length of hydrophobic branched tails (R=(CH2)nCH3 with n=5 (1), 9 (2), 13 (3)) were investigated. At low surface pressure, smooth, uniform monolayers were formed at the air-water interface by molecules 1 and 2, whereas for molecule 3 unique 2D toroid aggregates have been formed. These aggregates were relatively stable within a range of surface pressure and spreading solution concentration. Upon compression, the 2D toroid aggregates collapsed into large, round 3D aggregates. Finally, the choice of spreading solvent has a great influence on aggregation formation into 2D or 3D micelles as a result of the variable balance of the hydrophobic interactions of branched tails and the pi-pi stacking interaction between aromatic segments.

Surface characterization of biocidal polyurethane modifiers having poly(3,3-substituted)oxetane soft blocks with alkylammonium side chains

This paper focuses on surface characterization of P[ AB] copolyoxetane soft block polyurethanes having either fluorous (3FOx, -CH2OCH 2CF3) or PEG-like (ME2Ox, -CH2(OCH2CH2) 2OCH3), A side chains and alkylammonium, B side chains. Physical surface characterization data were analyzed in light of the previously observed order of antimicrobial effectiveness for a set of four surface modifiers. Ample physical evidence for surface concentration of fluorous 2 wt % P[ AB]-polyurethane modifiers was obtained from XPS, contact angles, ATR-IR spectroscopy, and TM-AFM. In TM-AFM phase imaging, the most effective biocidal surface modifier, 2 wt % HMDI-BD(30)/P[(3FOx)(C12)-0.89:0.11]-PU, showed a nanoscale phase-separated structure consisting of 200 nm domains with background features about 10 times smaller. Despite similar surface characterization data, the 2 wt % fluorous C6 analog ranked third in contact biocidal effectiveness. Physical evidence for surface concentration of 2 wt % P[(ME2Ox)(C12)-0.86:0.14]-PU was modest, considering that antimicrobial effectiveness was second only to 2 wt % HMDI-BD(30)/P[(3FOx)(C12)-0.89:0.11]-PU. In this set of surface modifiers, nanoscale morphology is largely driven by the fluorous component, whereas antimicrobial effectiveness is more strongly influenced by alkylammonium chain length. The effect of alkylammonium side chain length on surface concentration and antimicrobial behavior is more pronounced for ME2Ox polyurethanes compared to the 3FOx analogs.

Recognition of complex patterned substrates by heteropolymer chains consisting of multiple monomer types

We propose a statistical mechanical model of surface pattern recognition by heteropolymers with quenched monomer sequence distribution. The chemically heterogeneous pattern consists of different adsorption sites specifically distributed on a surface. The heteropolymer sequence is complementary with respect to the pattern. The concepts of recognition probability and recognition temperature are introduced. The algorithm for calculating the recognition probability is based on efficient recurrence procedures for evaluating the single-chain partition function of a chain macromolecule consisting of multiple monomer types, which interact with multiple types of adsorption sites. The temperature dependencies of the recognition probability are discussed. We address the critical role of the commensurability between the heteropolymer sequence and the distribution of the surface adsorbing sites on the polymer adsorption. Also, we address the question of how many types of monomer units in the heteropolymer are required for unambiguous recognition of compact target patterns. It is shown that perfect pattern recognition can be achieved for the strong-adsorption regime in the case of specifically structured compact patterns with multifunctional adsorption sites and heteropolymers with multiple monomer types when the degeneracy of the ground state is suppressed. The pattern recognition ability increases with the number of different types of monomer units and complementary adsorption sites. For random heteropolymers and patterns, the free energy change associated with the recognition process decreases linearly with increasing this number. Correlated random heteropolymers are capable of recognizing related patterns on a random background.

Interfacially formed organized planar inorganic, polymeric and composite nanostructures

This paper discusses synthetic strategies for fabrication of new organized planar inorganic, polymeric, composite and bio-inorganic nanostructures by methods based on chemical reactions and physical interactions at the gas-liquid interface, Langmuir monolayer technique, interfacial ligand exchange and substitution reactions, self-assembling and self-organization processes, DNA templating and scaffolding. Stable reproducible planar assemblies of ligand-stabilized molecular nanoclusters containing definite number of atoms have been formed on solid substrate surfaces via preparation and deposition of mixed Langmuir monolayers composed by nanocluster and surfactant molecules. A novel approach to synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles and to formation of self-organized planar inorganic nanostructures has been introduced. In that approach, nanoparticles and nanostructures are fabricated via decomposition of insoluble metal-organic precursor compounds in a layer at the gas-liquid interface. The ultimately thin and anisotropic dynamic monomolecular reaction system was realized in that approach with quasi-two-dimensional growth and organization of nanoparticles and nanostructures in the plain of Langmuir monolayer. Photochemical and redox reactions were used to initiate processes of interfacial nucleation and growth of inorganic phase. It has been demonstrated that morphology of resulting inorganic nanostructures can be controlled efficiently by variations of growth conditions via changes in state and composition of interfacial planar reaction media, and by variations of composition of adjacent bulk phases. Planar arrays and chains of iron oxide and ultrasmall noble metal (Au and Pd) nanoparticles, nanowires and new organized planar disk, ring, net-like, labyrinth and very high-surface area nanostructures were obtained by methods based on that approach. Highly organized monomolecular polymeric films on solid substrates were obtained via deposition of Langmuir monolayer formed by water-insoluble amphiphilic polycation molecules. Corresponding nanoscale-ordered planar polymeric nanocomposite films with incorporated ligand-stabilized molecular metallic nanoclusters and interfacially grown nanoparticles were fabricated successfully. Novel planar DNA complexes with amphiphilic polycation monolayer were formed at the gas-aqueous phase interface and then deposited on solid substrates. Toroidal and new net-like conformations were discovered in those complexes. Nanoscale supramolecular organization of the complexes was dependent on cationic amphiphile monolayer state during the DNA binding. These monolayer and multilayer DNA/amphiphilic polycation complex Langmuir-Blodgett films were used as templates and nanoreactors for generation of inorganic nanostructures via metal cation binding with DNA and following inorganic phase growth reactions. As a result, ultrathin polymeric nanocomposite films with integrated DNA building blocks and organized inorganic semiconductor (CdS) and iron oxide quasi-linear nanostructures were formed. It has been demonstrated that interaction of deposited planar DNA/amphiphilic polycation complexes with bulk phase colloid inorganic cationic ligands (CdSe nano-rods) can result in formation of new highly organized hybrid bio-inorganic nanostructures via interfacial ligand exchange and self-organization processes. The methods developed can be useful for investigation of fundamental mechanisms of nanoscale structural organization and transformation processes in various inorganic and molecular systems including bio-molecular and bio-inorganic nanostructures. Also, those methods are relatively simple, environmentally safe and thus could prove to be efficient practical instruments of molecular nanotechnology with potential of design and cost-effective fabrication of new controlled-morphology organized planar inorganic and composite nanostructured materials. Possible applications of obtained nanostructures and future developments are also discussed.

Interfacial micellar structures from novel amphiphilic star polymers

An amphiphilic heteroarm star polymer containing 12 alternating hydrophobic/hydrophilic arms of polystyrene (PS) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) connected to a well-defined rigid aromatic core was studied at the air-water and the air-solid interfaces. At the air-water interface, the molecules spontaneously form pancakelike micellar aggregates which measure up to several microns in diameter and 5 nm in thickness. Upon reduction of the surface area per molecule to 7 nm2, the two-dimensional micelles merged into a dense monolayer. We suggest that confined phase separation of dissimilar polymer arms occurred upon their segregation on the opposite sides of the rigid disklike aromatic core, forcing the rigid cores to adopt a face-on orientation with respect to the interface. Upon transfer onto solid supports the PS chains face the air-film interface making it completely hydrophobic, and the PAA chains were found to collapse and form a thin flattened underlayer. This study points toward new strategies to create large 2D microstructures with facial amphiphilicity and suggests a profound influence of star molecular architecture on the self-assembly of amphiphiles at the air-water interface.