Mesoscopic study of polymeric micelles with multiple lower critical solution temperatures: Micellar phase control by temperature effect

Abstract By means of the construction of thermoresponsive triblock poly( N -isopropylacrylamide)-b-poly( N -methacryloylalanine methyl ester)-b-poly( N -acryloyl-4- trans -hydroxy- L -proline methyl ester), P(NIPAM)-b-P(MA-Ala-OMe)-b-P(A-Hyp-OMe) in an aqueous environment it is shown by simulations of dissipative particle dynamics that due to the different LCSTs of the individual homopolymers, the structural conformations of the system are modified by consecutive thermal stimulus. First, free dispersed unimers chains are found at room temperature, then polymeric micelles with P(NIPAM)-core and P(MA-Ala-OMe)-b-P(A-Hyp-OMe) double corona at intermediate temperatures, micelles with P(NIPAM)-b-P(MA-Ala-OMe) core-shell and P(A-Hyp-OMe) corona at higher temperature and micellar phase segregation at higher temperatures via generation of a cloud-point.