Langmuir, Vol.23, No.24, 12067-12070, 2007
Self-organization of double-C-60 end-capped poly(ethylene oxide) in chloronaphthalene and benzene solvent mixtures
Well-defined and narrowly distributed double-C-60 end-functionalized poly(ethylene oxide) (C-60-PEO-C-60) was prepared by reacting azido-terminated PEO with C-60. The self-organization behavior of such C-60-modified copolymers in different mixtures of chloronaphthalene (CN) and benzene (BN) was studied by a combination of static and dynamic laser light scattering. For C-60-PEO-C-60 in pure CN, a selective solvent only for C-60, self-organization occurred to form a large micelle-like core-shell aggregate, probably with some C-60 interlocking with each other with the collapsed PEO chains as the core. The addition of BN, a second selective solvent for core-forming PEO chains, has a significant effect on the structures and compactness of the resultant aggregates because the introduction of BN increases the stretching of the PEO chains inside the core and modifies the interfacial energy of the core-corona interface. On the other hand, for C-60-PEO-C-60 in pure BN, a non-solvent Of C-60, several smaller flower-like micelles may self-organize to form a large spherical-like aggregation complex.