Micellar structures of chain end functionalized oligo(dimethyl siloxane)

Abstarct: Polymers modified with a functional group, including chain end functionalization, can vary its morphologies and properties drastically. Chain end transformation is a well-established technique and such technique has been applied to a wide range of polymers. We recently exploited the using of oligo(dimethyl siloxane) (ODMS) functioned with an ionic liquid group to mimic lipid membranes and studied their structures at liquid/air and liquid/liquid interfaces.^1,2 In this contribution, we report micellar structures of ODMS functionalized with different charged groups in solutions. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) revealed the roles of the counter ionic and solvent on the structures and stabilities of the micellar structures. These results help us design better polymeric materials for mimicking lipid membranes and neuromorphic networks.

Reference:

1. (1) Azhad U. Chowdhury, et al. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2020 142 (1), 290-299
   
   (2) Lu Lin, et al.ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2021, 13(28) 33734-33743