Eur. Phys. J. E 10, 25-35 (2003)
DOI: 10.1140/epje/e2003-00006-1

From supramolecular polymersomes to stimuli-responsive nano-capsules based on poly(diene-b-peptide) diblock copolymers

F. Chécot¹, S. Lecommandoux¹, H.-A. Klok² and Y. Gnanou<sup>1

1</sup>  Laboratoire de Chimie des Polymères Organiques, École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie et Physique de Bordeaux, Université Bordeaux 1, 16 Avenue Pey-Berland, 33607 Pessac, France
²  Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany

s.lecommandoux@enscpb.fr

(Received 25 June 2002 and Received in final form 22 October 2002 Published online: 11 March 2003 )

Abstract
This paper discusses the self-assembly of block copolymers into vesicular morphology. After a brief state of art of the field, a system based on an amphiphilic poly(butadiene)- b-poly( -L-glutamic acid) (PB- b-PGA) diblock copolymer in aqueous solution is discussed in detail. The aggregation behavior of this block copolymer has been investigated by means of fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic (DLS) and static (SLS) light scattering as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The diblock copolymer was found to form well-defined vesicles in water. The size of these so-called polymersomes or peptosomes could be reversibly manipulated as a function of both pH and ion strength. Depending on the pH of the aqueous solution, the hydrodynamic radii of these vesicles were found to vary from 100 nm to 150 nm. By cross-linking the 1,2-vinyl double bonds present in the polybutadiene block, the ability to transform a transient supramolecular self-organized aggregate into a permanent "shape-persistent stimuli-responsive nanoparticle" has been demonstrated.

PACS
87.16.Dg - Membranes, bilayers, and vesicles.
83.80.Uv - Block copolymers.
05.65.+b - Self-organized systems .

© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2003