Large complex micelles formed from amphiphilic H-shaped terpolymers with adjustable block ratio by ultrasonic vibration

Large complex micelles based on H-shaped terpolymers (poly(ethylene glycol))(poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate))-polytetrahydrofuran-(poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)) (poly(ethylene glycol)) ((PEG)(PDMA)-PTHF-(PDMA)(PEG)), with proper block ratio, are obtained through ultrasonic vibration. However, similar micellar morphology is not found using other traditional methods, such as evaporation and dialysis. According to the predicted thermodynamic analysis, large complex micelles consisting of several multimicelles are a result of the cooperative effects of ultrasonic vibration, hydrophobic-hydrophilic block ratio, and H-shaped branched architecture. These findings may lead to new strategies in designing supramacromolecular materials that exhibit special properties.