Novel amphiphilic polymers to elucidate the effect of architecture on micellization

Tulane University, New Orleans LA

Investigators

Abstract

Hybrid polymers that exhibit regions of contrasting solubility (e.g. water-soluble versus oil-soluble) are termed "amphiphilic polymers". Amphiphilic polymers are potentially useful in a range of applications including detergents, emulsifying agents, etc. Some of them have already been utilized commercially in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The majority of previous research on amphiphilic polymers has focused on polymeric components that are simple linear strands. Drs. Scott Grayson, Alina Alb, and Henry Ashbaugh at Tulane University explore the synthesis of various "non-linear" architectures and study their properties using both computer modeling and physical analysis to identify unique and useful materials. As an integral component, undergraduate and graduate students are trained in state-of-the-art laboratory techniques to provide them with a technical foundation for careers in the polymer industry. In addition, this project supports ongoing outreach efforts in New Orleans public school chemistry classes to demonstrate to the high school students the connections between textbook chemistry and its real-world applications. This project focuses specifically on two classes of polymer architecture: non-linear amphiphilic homopolymers (AHPs) and "dendrimer-like" star polymers. This research effort simultaneously investigates the synthesis of new monomers that better address the need for uncharged amphiphiles, while exploring novel cyclic, star, and caged architectures. The second class of polymers, dendrimer-like star polymers, enables the incorporation of branching not only at the core (like traditional star polymers) but also at the interface between the polar and non-polar blocks. This project develops modular synthetic approaches to star-dendritic-linear and graft-dendritic-linear polymers, which allow the length of the linear blocks and dendron generation to be independently tuned. The synthesis of these unique architectures is complemented by detailed theoretical modeling (Replica Exchange dynamics) and state of the art physical characterization (e.g., light scattering couple with automatic continuous mixing). The relationship between the structural parameters, the resultant self-assembly behavior, and polymer properties are explored in detail.