posted on 2017-09-08, 00:00authored byRongqiang Li, Yu Chai, Yufeng Jiang, Paul D. Ashby, Anju Toor, Thomas P. Russell
The
self-assembly of carboxylated fullerene with poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) with different
molecular weights, poly-2-vinylpyridine, and amine-terminated polystyrene,
at the interface between toluene and water was investigated. For all
values of the pH, the functionalized fullerene interacted with the
polymers at the water/toluene interface, forming a nanoparticle network,
reducing the interfacial tension. At pH values of 4.84 and 7.8, robust,
elastic films were formed at the interface, such that hollow tubules
could be formed in situ when an aqueous solution
of the functionalized fullerene was jetted into a toluene solution
of PS-b-P2VP at a pH of 4.84. With variation of the
pH, the mechanical properties of the fullerene/polymer assemblies
can be varied by tuning the strength of the interactions between the
functionalized fullerenes and the PS-b-P2VP.