The amphiphilic molecules contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic units and often self-assemble into micelles. We developed a theory of diblock copolymer micellization. We calculated the dependence of the micellization temperature and the shape and size of the resulting micelles on length and solubility of an individual block of the copolymer. The predictions of our theory are in good agreement with experimental observations. We also investigated unique properties of polymeric nanogels and dendrimers, including the density profile and non-monotonic dependence of intrinsic viscosity on dendrimer generation number.
We are extending the micellization models to amphiphilic nanoparticles and self-assembled gels.
Selected Publications
- “Polymeric Nanogels Produced via Inverse Microemulsion Polymerization as Potential Gene and Antisense Delivery Agents” by K. McAllister, P. Sazani, M. Adam, M.J. Cho, M. Rubinstein, R.J. Samulski, and J.M. DeSimone, JACS, 124, 15198-15207 (2002).
- “Diblock Copolymer Micelles in a Dilute Solution” by E. B. Zhulina, M. Adam, I. LaRue, S. Sheiko, and M. Rubinstein, Macromolecules 38, 5330-5351 (2005).
- “Unique Behavior of Dendritic Macromolecules: Intrinsic Viscosity of Polyether Dendrimers” by T. H. Mourey, S. R. Turner, M. Rubinstein, J. M. J. Frechet, C. J. Hawker, and K. L. Wooley, Macromolecules 25, 2401-2406 (1992).
- “A Self-Consistent Mean Field Model of a Starburst Dendrimer: Dense Core vs. Dense Shell” by D. Boris and M. Rubinstein, Macromolecules 29, 7251-7260 (1996).