Micellar structure of amphiphilic poly(2-oxazoline) diblock copolymers

Amphiphilic diblock copolymers from poly(2-oxazoline)s in aqueous solution can form micelles. By means of small-angle neutron scattering, we have found that poly[(n-nonyl-2-oxazoline)-b-(methyl-2-oxazoline)] {P[(NOx)-b-(MOx)]} diblock copolymers in aqueous solution form micelles of core-shell type. We have determined the core radius and the shell thickness of the micelles. Comparing the values obtained to the stretched lengths of the blocks leads to the conclusion that the P(NOx) core blocks are stretched, whereas the P(MOx) shell blocks are coiled.