One-Pot Synthesis of Amphiphilic Linear and Hyperbranched Polyelectrolytes and Their Stimuli-Responsive Self-Assembly in Aqueous Solutions

Stimuli-responsive polymeric nanostructures are compelling vectors for a wide range of application opportunities. The objective we sought was to broaden the array of self-assembling amphiphilic copolymers with stimuli-responsive characteristics by introducing a hydrophilic tunable monomer, (2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), together with a hydrophilic one, lauryl methacrylate (LMA), within linear and branched copolymer topologies. Size exclusion chromatography was used to evaluate the resultant linear and hyperbranched copolymers' molecular weight and dispersity, and FT-IR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy techniques were used to delineate their chemical structure. The structural changes in the obtained self-organized supramolecular structures were thoroughly investigated using aqueous media with varying pH and salinity by dynamic light scattering (DLS), fluorescence spectroscopy (FS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nanoscale assemblies formed by the amphiphiles indicate significant potential for applications within the field of nanotechnology.