1 research outputs found
An Approach for the Sphere-to-Rod Transition of Multiblock Copolymer Micelles
The shape of polymer micelles is important for pharmaceutical
applications
as drug delivery. In this article, an approach inducing sphere-to-rod
transition of multiblock polyurethane micelles has been developed
through introducing a second hydrophilic component phosphatidylcholine
group into the polymer chains. Time-resolved dynamic light scattering
(DLS), combined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), was employed
to investigate the kinetics of morphology transition. Moreover, a
dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation method was applied
to study the mechanism of sphere-to-rod transition. These experimental
and simulation studies revealed that the hydrophilic phosphatidylcholine
groups can create defects on the surfaces of spherical polyurethane
micelles, thus, making positive contribution to adhesive collisions
and leading to the fusion of spherical micelles into rod-like micelles.
This finding provides new insight into the origins of rod-like polymer
micelles, which is valuable for the design and preparation of novel
polymeric drug carriers with tailored properties