• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.332-341
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• 2013

H-shaped amphiphilic pentablock copolymers $(PSt)_2-b-PCL-b-PEO-b-PCL-b-(PSt)_2$ was synthesized via chemoenzymatic method by combining enzyme-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization (eROP) of ${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone (${\varepsilon}$-CL) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene. By this process, we obtained copolymers with controlled molecular weight and low polydispersity. The structure and composition of the obtained copolymers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and infrared spectroscopy analysis (IR). The crystallization behavior of the copolymers was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The crystallization behavior of the H-shaped block copolymers demonstrated a PCL dominate crystallization. The self-assembly behavior of the copolymers was investigated in aqueous media. The hydrodynamic diameters of the copolymer micelles in aqueous solution were measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The morphology of the copolymer micelles was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The hydrodynamic diameters of spherical micelles declined gradually with the increase of the hydrophobic chain lengths of the copolymers. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) values were determined from fluorescence emission, and it was found that the CMCs decreased with an increase of PSt hydrophobic block lengths.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.688-692
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• 2007

The hydrogen-bonding induced alternating multilayer thin films of dendrimers and block copolymer micelles were demonstrated. The block copolymer micelles derived from amphiphilic poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)block-$poly({\varepsilon}-carprolactone)$ (PEtOz-PCL) in aqueous phase have a core-shell structure with a mean hydrodynamic diameter of 26 nm. The hydrogen bonding between the PEtOz outer shell of micelle and the carboxyl unit of poly(amidoamine) dendrimer of generation 4.5 (PAMAM-4.5G) at pH 3 was utilized as a driving force for the layerby-layer alternating deposition. The multilayer thin film was fabricated on the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) thin film spin-coated on silicon wafer or glass substrate by the alternate dipping of PEtOz-PCL micelles and PAMAM dendrimers in aqueous solution at pH 3. The formation of multilayer thin film was characterized by using ellipsometry, UV-vis spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The PEtOz outer shell of PEtOz-PCL micelle provided the pH-responsive hydrogen bonding sites with peripheral carboxylic acids of PAM AM dendrimer. The multilayer thin film was reversibly removed after dipping in aqueous solution at $pH{\geq}5.6$ due to dissociation of the hydrogen bonding between PEtOz shell of PEtOz-PCL micelle and peripheral carboxyl units of PAMAM dendrimer.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.53-56
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• 2008

This study proposes a simple nano-patterning process for the fabrication of magnetic nanodot arrays on a large area substrate. Ni nanodots were fabricated on a large area (4 inches in diameter) Si substrate using the soft lithographic technique using self-assembled surface micelles of Polystyrene-block-Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) diblock copolymer formed at the air/water interface as a mask. The hexagonal array of micelles was successfully transferred to a Ni thin film on a Si substrate using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. After ion-mill dry etching, a magnetic Ni nanodot array with a regular hexagon array structure was obtained. The Ni nanodot array showed in-plane easy axis magnetization and typical soft magnetic properties.

• Polymer Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.154-163
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• 2012

• Polymer Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.164-173
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• 2012

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.467-475
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• 2001

A triblock copolymer based on $poly(\varepsilon-caprolactone)$ (PCL) as the hydrophobic part and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the hydrophilic portion was synthesized by a ring-opening mechanism of ${\varepsilon}-caprolactone$ with PEG containing a hydroxyl group at bot h ends as an initiator. The synthesized block copolymers of PCL/PEG/PCL (CEC) were confirmed and characterized using various analysis equipment such as 1H NMR, DSC, FT-IR, and WAXD. Core-shell type nanoparticles of CEC triblock copolymers were prepared using a dialysis technique to estimate their potential as a colloidal drug carrier using a hydrophobic drug. From the results of particle size analysis and transmission electron microscopy, the particle size of CEC core-shell type nanoparticles was determined to be about 20-60 nm with a spherical shape. Since CEC block copolymer nanoparticles have a core-shell type micellar structure and small particle size similar to polymeric micelles, CEC block copolymer can self-associate at certain concentrations and the critical association concentration (CAC) was able to be determined by fluorescence probe techniques. The CAC values of the CEC block copolymers were dependent on the PCL block length. In addition, drug loading contents were dependent on the PCL block length: the larger the PCL block length, the higher the drug loading content. Drug release from CEC core-shell type nanoparticles showed an initial burst release for the first 12 hrs followed by pseudo-zero order release kinetics for 2 or 3 days. CEC-2 block copolymer core-shell type nanoparticles were degraded very slowly, suggesting that the drug release kinetics were governed by a diffusion mechanism rather than a degradation mechanism irrelevant to the CEC block copolymer composition.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.173-181
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• 2003

A polymeric micelle drug delivery system was developed to enhance the solubility of poorly-water soluble drug, biphenyl dimethyl dicarboxylate, DDB. The block copolymers consisting of poly(D,L-lactide) (PLA) as the hydrophobic segment and methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) as the hydrophilic segment were synthesized and characterized by NMR, DSC and MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy. The size of the polymeric micelles measured by dynamic light scattering showed a narrow monodisperse size distribution with the average diameter less than 50 nm. The MW of mPEG-PLA, 3000 (MW of mPEG, 2 K; MW of PLA, 1K), and the presence of hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments on the polymeric micelles were confirmed by MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy and NMR, respectively. Polymeric micelle solutions of DDB were prepared by three different methods, i.e. the matrix method, emulsion method and dialysis method. In the matrix method, DDB solubility was reached to 13.29 mg/mL. The mPEG-PLA 2K-1K micelle system was compared with the poloxamer 407 micelle system for their critical micelle concentration, micelle size, solubilizing capacity, stability in dilution and physical state. DDB loaded-polymeric micelles prepared by the matrix method showed a significantly increased aqueous solubility (＞5000 fold over intrinsic solubility) and were found to be superior to the poloxamer 407 micelles as a drug carrier.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.351-356
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• 2004

Selected MPEG-b-PDLLA block copolymers have been synthesized by ring-opening polymerization with systematic variation of the chain lengths of the resident hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks. The size and shape of the micelles that spontaneously form in solution are then controlled by the characteristics of the block copolymer template. All the materials prepared in this study showed the tunable pore size of 20-80 ${\AA}$ with the increase of hydrophobic chain lengths and up to 660 $m^2$/g of specific surface area. The formation mechanism of these nanoporous structures obtained by controlling the micelle size has been confirmed using both liquid and solid state $^{13}C\;and\;^{29}Si$ NMR techniques. This work verifies the formation mechanism of nanoporous structures in which the pore size and wall thickness are closely dependent on the size of hydrophobic cores and hydrophilic shells of the block copolymer templates.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.344-351
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• 2005

pH-sensitive block copolymers were synthesized by coupling reaction of sulfamethazine and amphiphilic diblock copolymer, and their micellization-demicellization behavior was investigated. Sulfamethazine (SM), a derivative of sulfonamide, was introduced as a pH responsive moiety while methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)poly(D,L-lactide) (MPEG-PDLLA) and methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly($D,L-lactide-co-{\varepsilon}-caprolactone$) (MPEG-PCLA) were used as biodegradable amphiphilic diblock copolymers. After the sulfamethazine was carboxylated by the reaction with succinic anhydride, the diblock copolymer was conjugated with sulfamethazine by coupling reaction in the presence of DCC. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) and mean diameter of the micelles were examined at various pH conditions through fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. For MPEG-PDLLA-SM and MPEG-PCLA-SM solutions, the pH-dependent micellization-demicellization was achieved within a narrow pH band, which was not observed in the MPEG-PDLLA and MPEG-PCLA solutions. The micelle showed a spherical morphology and had a very narrow size distribution. This pH-sensitive block copolymer shows potential as a site-targeted drug carrier.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.291-292
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• 2003

Amphiphilic block copolymer는 self-assembly특성을 가지고 있기 때문에 선택된 용매 속에서 nanoscale-domain 즉 micelle을 형성할 수 있다. 이러한 특성은 기타 불용성 물질을 가용화하고 colloidal particle을 안정화시키거나 micro-emulsion을 형성할 수 있어 pharmaceutics, drug delivery system등 영역, 그리고 emulsion stabilizer, thickener, dispersion agent등으로 사용될 수 있다. (중략)