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Preparation of hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol)-containing amphiphilic diblock copolymers and their self-association in water

Polymer Journal volume 55, pages 665–673 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

A series of amphiphilic diblock copolymers (PVAm-b-PVPin: AmPn = A82P6, A72P26, and A70P74) with different block lengths of hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA, A) and hydrophobic poly(vinyl pivalate) (PVPi, P) blocks were prepared. AmPn was synthesized from a poly(vinyl acetate)-b-P (PVAc-b-P) diblock copolymer by selectively hydrolyzing the pendant acetyl groups in PVAc. In water, AmPn polymers formed spherical polymer micelles with a PVPi core and a PVA shell due to hydrophobic interactions between the PVPi blocks. The hydrodynamic radius (Rh), light scattering intensity (LSI), and aggregation number (Nagg) of AmPn increased with increasing PVPi block length. Conversely, the critical micelle concentration (CMC) was reduced due to stronger hydrophobic interactions. This study promotes potential applications for AmPn micelles to be used as nanocarriers for hydrophobic anticancer drugs.

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Funding

Funding

This research was partially supported by KAKENHI grants (21H02005, 21K19931, 21H05027, 21H05535) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), JSPS Bilateral Joint Research Projects (JPJSBP120203509), the Cooperative Research Program of “Network Joint Research Center for Materials and Devices (20214044),” the International Collaborative Research Program of Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University (2022-121), and MEXT Promotion of Distinctive Joint Research Center Program (JPMXP 0621467946).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Hyogo, 2167 Shosha, Himeji, Hyogo, 671-2280, Japan

    Thu Thao Pham & Shin-ichi Yusa

  2. Japan VAM & POVAL Co., Ltd., 11-1, Chikko-Shinmachi 3-cho, Nishi-ku, Sakai-shi, Osaka, 592-8331, Japan

    Seito Aibara, Takehiro Omori & Yoshihiro Kimura

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Correspondence to Shin-ichi Yusa.

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Pham, T.T., Aibara, S., Omori, T. et al. Preparation of hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol)-containing amphiphilic diblock copolymers and their self-association in water. Polym J 55, 665–673 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-023-00767-8

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