Solvent-assisted self-assembly of amphiphilic polymer/surfactant complexes

We describe a simple manipulation of an amphiphilic polymer, polyvinylacetone (PVKA, with ketalization degree D-H=0.549), mixed with tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) that generates a series of self-assembled superstructures in the selective solvent composed of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and acetone. The morphologies of those superstructures could be tuned by varying the ratio of DMSO/acetone in the solvent, as well as by varying the TBAB concentration in the original system. This procedure thus adds a facile yet effective tool for superstructure formation of polymer/surfactant complexes. These offer the probability of the research of PVKA on structural construction and utilization, and fabricating such assemblies' essential is not only to the production of novel devices but also to the understanding of fundamental phenomena at the nano-/microscale. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.