Multiblock copolymer behaviour of alpha-CD/PEO-based polyrotaxanes: towards nano-cylinder self-organization of alpha-CDs

Christophe Travelet (1) , Guy Schlatter (1) , Pascal Hebraud (2, 3) , Cyril Brochon (1) , Alain Lapp (4) , D.V. Anokhin , D.A. Ivanov , Cédric Gaillard (5) , Georges Hadziioannou (1)

1 Laboratoire d'Ingenierie des Polymères pour les Hautes Technologies
2 IPCMS - Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg
3 PPMD - Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Polymères et des Milieux Dispersés
4 LLB - UMR 12 - Laboratoire Léon Brillouin
5 BIA - Unité de recherche sur les Biopolymères, Interactions Assemblages

The present work demonstrates that alpha-cyclodextrin/poly(ethylene oxide) (alpha-CD/PEO)-based polyrotaxanes (PRs) behave as multiblock copolymers. One block type consists of a rod-like tube made of 6 to 7 weakly stacked alpha-CDs threaded along the PEO chain. The other one is made of a naked PEO segment, i.e. the PR part that is not covered by alpha-CDs. This multiblock behaviour induces the self-organization of PRs in concentrated solution in dimethyl sulfoxide ( DMSO) at room temperature leading to the formation of nano-cylinders. These nano-cylinders consist of assemblies of roughly 60 alpha-CD rod-like tubes through hydrogen bonding. Moreover, crystallites of naked PEO segments are formed since PEO is in poor solvent conditions ( DMSO) at room temperature. Furthermore, the formation of alpha-CD nano-cylinders as well as of naked PEO segment crystallites leads to physical gelation of PRs in DMSO.

Mots clés: INCLUSION COMPLEXES; CYCLODEXTRIN; SCATTERING

Domaines: Polymères

Christophe Travelet, Guy Schlatter, Pascal Hebraud, Cyril Brochon, Alain Lapp, et al.. Multiblock copolymer behaviour of alpha-CD/PEO-based polyrotaxanes: towards nano-cylinder self-organization of alpha-CDs. Soft Matter, 2008, 4 (9), pp.1855-1860. ⟨10.1039/b806656f⟩. ⟨hal-00385602⟩