pH-Sensitive Micelles Based on Double-Hydrophilic Poly(methylacrylic acid)-Poly(ethylene glycol)-Poly(methylacrylic acid) Triblock Copolymer

Abstract

Abstract pH-sensitive micelles with hydrophilic core and hydrophilic corona were fabricated by self-assembling of triblock copolymer of poly(methylacrylic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(methylacrylic acid) at lower solution pH. Transmission electron microscopy and laser light scattering studies showed micelles were in nano-scale with narrow size distribution. Solution pH value and the micelles concentration strongly influenced the hydrodynamic radius of the spherical micelles (48–310 nm). A possible mechanism for the formation of micelles was proposed. The obtained polymeric micelle should be useful for biomedical materials such as carrier of hydrophilic drug.

Keywords

• Self-assembly
• Micelles
• Double-hydrophilic
• Triblock copolymers