Amphiphilic self-organization of non-invasively orthogonally switchable block copolymers

• Applicants: Professor Dr. André Laschewsky; Professor Dr. Peter Müller-Buschbaum; Professorin Dr. Christine M. Papadakis
• Subject Area: Experimental and Theoretical Physics of Polymers
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 493931825

The project focuses on the induced self-organization of amphiphilic block copolymers. The hydrophilic or hydrophobic character of both blocks can be controlled reversibly and independently from each other by means of non-invasive stimuli, namely by change of temperature or irradiation with UV-light. In dependence on the molecular parameters (like chemical structure and size of the blocks), structure formation and switching behavior upon change of temperature or after irradiation shall be studied both, in volume in aqueous solution and in thin films. To enable this, new diblock copolymers have to be synthesized, in which the hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of the blocks can be inverted independently by temperature- and especially by light-induced processes. The structures as well as the structural changes upon crossing the phase boundaries will be investigated in detail using modern spectroscopic and scattering methods and thevolume behavior will be compared with that in thin films.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants