Synthesis, characterization and self-assembly of ion-bonded amphiphilic A2B miktoarm star copolymers containing an azobenzene unit at the core

Ion-bonded amphiphilic A2B miktoarm star copolymers with an azobenzene group at the core were synthesized. It was found that the copolymers self-assembled into solid spherical aggregates in water and the aggregation led to the lower isomerization degree (54%) at the photostationary state in water compared with that in 1,4-dioxane (82%).