e-Micellization: Electrochemical, Reversible Switching of Polymer Aggregation

A facile way of switching the micellization of star-shaped polymer based on POE and PMOTAC is presented, with the formation of vesicles that could be demonstrated at low concentration of hexacyanoferrates by changing the ratio of ferri and ferrocyanides during electrochemical oxidation or reduction. Low molecular weight surfactants bearing redox-sensitive moieties allow the reversiblemicellization by oxidation and reduction, along with the change in the size of aggregates upon changing the potential. The POE used in the experiment ensures the solubilization of the polymer even in the aggregated state, with the synthesis of polymer by atom transfer radical polymerization. The reproducibility between different oxidation and reduction cycles is found to be good, also the tedious copolymerization of electrosensitive monomers is omitted with easy manipulation of aggregation.