Self-assembly of the Thermosensitive and pH-Sensitive Pentablock Copolymer PNIPAM_x-b-P(tBA-co-AA)₉₀-b-PPO₃₆-b-P(tBA-co-AA)₉₀-b-PNIPAM_x in Dilute Aqueous Solutions

A series of pH-sensitive and thermosensitive amphiphilic pentablock copolymers, PNIPAMx-b-P(tBA-co-AA)90-b-PPO36-b-P(tBA-co-AA)90-PNIPAMx (x-DH) with different lengths x of PNIPAM blocks (x = 58, 95, and 111) and various degrees of hydrolysis of PtBA blocks (DH ≈ 10, 60, and 100%), were prepared and self-assembled into micelles in dilute aqueous solutions. By dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV–vis spectrophotometry characterizations, at pH =...