One-pot synthesis of double poly(ionic liquid) block copolymers by cobalt-mediated radical polymerization-induced self assembly (CMR-PISA) in water

Amphiphilic double poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) block copolymers are directly prepared by cobalt- mediated radical polymerization induced self-assembly (CMR-PISA) in water of N-vinyl imida- zolium monomers carrying distinct alkyl chains. The cobalt-mediated radical polymerization of N-vinyl-3-ethyl imidazolium bromide (VEtImBr) is first carried out until high conversion in water at 30 °C, using an alkyl bis(acetylacetonate)cobalt(III) adduct as initiator and con- trolling agent. The as-obtained hydrophilic poly(N-vinyl-3- ethyl imidazolium bromide) (PVEtImBr) is then used as a macroinitiator for the CMR-PISA of N-vinyl-3-octyl imidazo- lium bromide (VOcImBr). Self-assembly of the amphiphilic PVEtImBr-b-PVOcImBr block copolymer, i.e., of PIL-b-PIL-type, rapidly takes place in water, forming polymer nanoparticles consisting of a hydrophilic PVEtImBr corona and a hydro- phobic PVOcImBr core. Preliminary investigation into the effect of the size of the hydrophobic block on the dimension of the nanoparticles is also described.