Platelet self-assembly of a tetrablock copolymer in pure water

An amphiphilic tetrablock copolymer was synthesized via anionic polymerization, selective hydrogenation and sulfonation to create an A-B-C-A polymer where the hydrophilic ends are poly(styrene sulfonate) and the middle blocks are incompatible poly (methyl butylene) and poly (ethyl ethylene). The aggregation behavior of these polymers in water was studied using dynamic and static light scattering as well as light and electron microscopy. Both scattering and direct imaging experiments are consistent with monodisperse (s = 0.14) monolayer platelets with radii of 147 nm at 45 °C, while at temperatures below 38 °C we find coexistence of the platelets with micelles.