TY  - JOUR
AU  - Saha, Debasish
AU  - Peddireddy, Karthik R.
AU  - Allgaier, J.
AU  - Zhang, Wei
AU  - Maccarrone, Simona
AU  - Frielinghaus, Henrich
AU  - Richter, Dieter
TI  - Amphiphilic Comb Polymers as New Additives in Bicontinuous Microemulsions
JO  - Nanomaterials
VL  - 10
IS  - 12
SN  - 2079-4991
CY  - Basel
PB  - MDPI
M1  - FZJ-2020-04875
SP  - 2410 -
PY  - 2020
AB  - It has been shown that the thermodynamics of bicontinuous microemulsions can be tailored via the addition of various different amphiphilic polymers. In this manuscript, we now focus on comb-type polymers consisting of hydrophobic backbones and hydrophilic side chains. The distinct philicity of the backbone and side chains leads to a well-defined segregation into the oil and water domains respectively, as confirmed by contrast variation small-angle neutron scattering experiments. This polymer–microemulsion structure leads to well-described conformational entropies of the polymer fragments (backbone and side chains) that exert pressure on the membrane, which influences the thermodynamics of the overall microemulsion. In the context of the different polymer architectures that have been studied by our group with regards to their phase diagrams and small-angle neutron scattering, the microemulsion thermodynamics of comb polymers can be described in terms of a superposition of the backbone and side chain fragments. The denser or longer the side chain, the stronger the grafting and the more visible the brush effect of the side chains becomes. Possible applications of the comb polymers as switchable additives are discussed. Finally, a balanced philicity of polymers also motivates transmembrane migration in biological systems of the polymers themselves or of polymer–DNA complexes.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
C6  - 33276588
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000602344300001
DO  - DOI:10.3390/nano10122410
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/888372
ER  -