Abstract
This paper aims to report the fabrication of biodegradable thin films with micro-domains of cylindrical nanochannels through the solvent-induced microphase separation of poly(L-lactide)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(L-lactide) (PLA-b-PEG-fe-PLA) triblock copolymers with different block ratios. In our experimental scope, an increase in each of the block lengths of the PLA and PEG blocks led to both a variation in the average number density (146 to 32 per 100 μm2) and the size of the micro-domains (140 to 427 nm). Analyses by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and fluorescence microscopy indicated that the hydrophilic PEG nanochannels were dispersed in the PLA matrix of the PLA-b-PEG-b-PLA films. We demonstrated that the micro-domain morphology could be controlled not only by the block length of PEG, but also by the solvent evaporation conditions.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 175-180 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Macromolecular Rapid Communications |
Volume | 29 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 17 Jan 2008 |
Keywords
- Atomic force microscopy (AFM)
- Fluorescence microscopy
- Microphase separation
- Nanochannels
- Poly(L-lactide)-block-(ethylene glycol)-block-polu(L- lactide) triblock copolymers