Core–shell–corona macromolecular architectures via electrostatic co-assembly

Water-soluble macromolecular complexes are prepared via electrostatic co-assembly of a micelle-forming (non-ionic hydrophobic/ionic) diblock copolymer, polyisobutylene-block-poly(sodium methacrylate), with a double hydrophilic (ionic/non-ionic hydrophilic) diblock copolymer, exhaustively quaternized poly(2-vinylpyridine)-block-poly(ethylene oxide), taken at the equimolar (1 : 1) ratio of their ionic groups. The original micelles appear to act as templates, leading to compartmentalized (core–shell–corona) nanosized macromolecular architectures with a hydrophobic polyisobutylene core, an interpolyelectrolyte complex polymethacylate/poly(2-vinylpyridinium) shell, and a hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) corona.