What is amphiphilic copolymer?

What is amphiphilic copolymer?

Amphiphilic polymers are copolymers including both hydrophilic and hydrophobic chains [1]. These specific category of polymers has the unique property of displaying self assembling behaviour in selective solvents.

What are copolymers and homopolymers?

If a polymer consists of only one kind of monomers then it is called a homopolymer, while a polymer which consists of more than one kind of monomers is called a copolymer.

What do you mean by copolymers?

A copolymer is a polymer formed when two (or more) different types of monomer are linked in the same polymer chain, as opposed to a homopolymer where only one monomer is used.

What are block and graft copolymers?

The key difference between block and graft copolymer is that a block copolymer has blocks of repeating units whereas a graft copolymer has branches of repeating units. And, these repeating units represent the monomers that are used in the polymerization process to make this polymer.

What are copolymers used for?

Copolymerization is used to modify the properties of manufactured plastics to meet specific needs, for example to reduce crystallinity, modify glass transition temperature, control wetting properties or to improve solubility. It is a way of improving mechanical properties, in a technique known as rubber toughening.

What is amphiphilic in chemistry?

Amphiphilic (amphiphatic): A molecule having both hydrophobic (nonpolar) and hydrophilic (polar) regions. That phospholipids form a bilayer for a cell membrane via the hydrophobic effect is due to the phospholipid’s amphiphilic character.

Why is amphiphilic important?

The phospholipid amphiphiles are the major structural component of cell membranes. Amphiphiles are the basis for a number of areas of research in chemistry and biochemistry, notably that of lipid polymorphism. Organic compounds containing hydrophilic groups at both ends of the molecule are called bolaamphiphilic.

What are homopolymers give examples?

So, thus, the word homopolymer means that polymer which is made up of only one type of monomer. Examples of homopolymer are as polythene ( monomer is ethene), polypropylene( monomer is propene), polyvinyl chloride(PVC)( monomer is vinyl chloride), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) (monomer is vinyl cyanide)etc.

How are block copolymers made?

Block copolymers are normally prepared by controlled polymerization of one monomer, followed by chain extension with a different monomer(1) to form AB or ABC block copolymers.

What is amphiphilic surfactant?

Amphiphiles are a special class of surface active molecules called surfactants . They are called surface active because they have the unique properties of getting adsorbed at various interfaces(e.g air-water, oil-water etc) and altering the properties of the interface.

Are block copolymers amphiphilic molecules?

It is the belief of the editors of this book that the recognition of block copolymers as being amphiphilic molecules and sharing common features with other well-studied amphiphiles will prove beneficial to both the surfactant and the polymer communities. An aim of this book is to bridge the two communities and cross-fertilise the different fields.

What is a block copolymer?

Block copolymers are macromolecules comprised of two or more chemically different chains joined together by covalent bonds. The development of this field originated with the discovery of termination-free anionic polymerisation, which remains the best method for producing monodisperse block copolymers with well-defined architecture.

What is the best method for producing monodisperse block copolymers?

The development of this field originated with the discovery of termination-free anionic polymerisation, which remains the best method for producing monodisperse block copolymers with well-defined architecture. A variety of molecular architectures are possible, e.g. AB diblock, ABA triblock, starblock copolymers.

Are star block copolymers branched structures?

This definition excludes branched structures in which the branches are composed of blocks, i.e. star or radical block copolymers. This review will consider the synthesis, characterization and morphology of both linear and star block copolymers with well-defined structures.