Polymeric Micelles with Mesoporous Cores

Abstract

Mesoporous polymer nanoparticles containing pores with sizes ranging from 2 to 50 nm are attractive for wide applications, such as catalysis, drug delivery, and separations. On the basis of nanometer-sized phase separation and cleavage reaction in the micellar cores, polymeric micelles with mesoporous cores are prepared in this research. A triblock terpolymer, consisting of one hydrophilic block and two mutually incompatible hydrophobic blocks covalently connected by a redox-responsive disulfide linkage, self-assembles into multicompartment micelles, a type of micelle with subdivided hydrophobic cores, in aqueous solution. Due to the incompatibility, the two hydrophobic blocks have nanometer-sized phase separation in the micellar cores, one in the discontinuous phase and the other in the continuous phase. Upon cleavage of the disulfide linkage, the discontinuous phase is dissolved in a selective solvent, and micelles with mesoporous cores are obtained. The average pore size is around 3 nm. Functionalization of the mesopores with functional compounds and inorganic nanoparticles renders these micelles suited for wide applications