6533b7d9fe1ef96bd126b92b

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Selectivity of cyclodextrins as a parameter to tune the formation of pseudorotaxanes and micelles supramolecular assemblies. A systematic SANS study

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Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich. This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively. We studied the formation of polypseudorotaxanes formed with cyclodextrins (CDs) threading a copolymer chain that forms self-assembled structures in water. The size of the CD cavity was chosen such that it is block selective with respect to the formation of inclusion complexes and therefore in terms of altering the structure of the copolymer self-assemblies in a systematic fashion. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments provide a direct and clear picture of the shape and interactions of the copolymer micelles in the absence and the presence of various CDs. Moreover, the dissolution of copolymer micelles by CD addition was clearly described by a simple model which provides a tool for quantitative predictions. This study suggests the possibility of designing materials with tunable aggregation abilities in water, where the extent of aggregate formation is determined by the amount and type of added cyclodextrin.