We investigated the bilayer-folded lamellar (Lf) mesophase appearing in the aqueous solution of amphiphilic random copolymers. A series of copolymers were synthesized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer copolymerization of oligo(ethylene glycol) acrylate with alkyl acrylate with different alkyl chain lengths from octyl (C8) to octadecyl (C18). The alkyl acrylate composition was adjusted between 50–60 mol %. In the concentrated solution with the carbon number of the alkyl side chain higher than 10, the copolymers associated in water via hydrophobic interaction between the alkyl chains to produce micellar bilayers, which were periodically folded into bilayer-folded lamellae. The appearance of a small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) peak at a low scattering vector corresponding to >10 nm length scale clearly distinguished the bilayer-folded lamellae from the micellar lamellae with the domain spacing of 5–7 nm. Two-dimensional (2D) SAXS corroborated the presence of bilayer-folded lamellae developing perpendicularly to the micellar lamellae, which is consistent with our previous report. While the Lf phase was observed at room temperature for dodecyl (C12) and tetradecyl (C14) side chains that formed amorphous packing, crystalline hexadecyl (C16) and octadecyl (C18) chains seem to disturb bilayer folding. Heating the solution above the melting temperature of the alkyl chains produced the Lf phase with the largest folding height in the case of C16. The scaling relationship of the folding height to the carbon number supports the idea that the bending rigidity of the bilayer influences the length scale of folding.

Thermo-responsive diblock copolymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-block-poly(N-vinylisobutyramide) was synthesized via switchable reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and its thermal transition behavior was studied. Poly(N-vinylisobutyramide) (PNVIBA), a structural isomer of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) shows a thermo-response character but with a higher lower critical solution temperature (LCST) than PNIPAM. The chain extension of the PNVIBA block from the PNIPAM block proceeded in a controlled manner with a switchable chain transfer reagent, methyl 2-[methyl(4-pyridinyl)carbamothioylthio]propionate. In an aqueous solution, the diblock copolymer shows a thermo-responsive behavior but with a single LCST close to the LCST of PNVIBA, indicating that the interaction between the PNIPAM segment and the PNVIBA segment leads to cooperative aggregation during the self-assembly induced phase separation of the diblock copolymer in solution. Above the LCST of the PNIPAM block, the polymer chains begin to collapse, forming small aggregates, but further aggregation stumbled due to the PNVIBA segment of the diblock copolymer. However, as the temperature approached the LCST of the PNVIBA block, larger aggregates composed of clusters of small aggregates formed, resulting in an opaque solution.

Randomness is perceived in two different extremes, in macroscopic homogeneity and local heterogeneity, but apparently far away from order. Here we show that a periodic order spontaneously arises from a binary random copolymer when self-assembly occurs in an ensemble containing > 1015 possible chain sequences. A Bernoullian distribution of hydrophilic and hydrophobic side chains grafted onto a linear backbone was constructed by random copolymerization. When the polymer chains associate in water, a sequence matching problem occurs because of the drastic heterogeneity in sequence: this is believed to generate local curvature mismatches which deviate from the ensemble-averaged interfacial curvature. Periodic folding of the self-assembled bilayer stabilizes the curvature instability as recurring hinges. Reminiscent of chain-folded lamellae found in polymer crystallization, this new liquid crystalline mesophase, characterized as bilayer-folded lamellae, manifests itself as an anisotropically alignable birefringent hydrogel with structural hierarchy across multiple length scales.

The glass-transition temperature (Tg) and degree of crystallinity (Xc) are important properties of polymers. However, for some polymers, current techniques have some difficulties in measuring Tg and Xc, particularly for as-prepared films without damage. Here, we develop a new technique to simultaneously determine Tg and Xc by measuring the restitution of a ball on an intact polymer film or sheet as a function of temperature. Demonstrating with eight different types of polymers, we show that Tg is the onset of the decrease in restitution, and Xc is the minimum restitution for semi-crystalline polymers with Xc up to 50%. Our simple yet versatile technique could provide a useful tool to measure challenging Tg and Xc of films and sheets by the conventional methods.

A series of well-defined poly(arylene ether sulfone)s (PESs) as a rod-type block was synthesized by chain-growth condensation polymerization from a diphenyl sulfone-type initiator containing a fluorine leaving group and an allyl moiety. Interestingly, these oligomeric PESs exhibited lower critical solution temperature (LCST)-type phase transition behavior in organic solvents, i.e., 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) and chloroform. The clouding point temperature was affected by the molecular weight and concentration of the polymers. The cloud temperature decreased as the molecular weight polymers and the concentration of polymer solution increased. And also two series of rod-coil type poly(arylene ether sulfone)-b-polylactides were synthesized by controlled ring-opening esterification polymerization of dl-lactide with a PES-derived macroinitiator in which the allyl group was transformed into an aliphatic hydroxyl group by a thiol-ene click reaction. These diblock copolymers also exhibited LCST behavior in DME, and the nanoscale size of the aggregates increased upon heating.

Herein, a study on a new lower critical solution temperature (LCST) polymer in an organic solvent by an electrochemical technique has been reported. The phase-transition behavior of poly(arylene ether sulfone) (PAES) was examined on 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME). At a temperature above the LCST point, polymer molecules aggregated to create polymer droplets. These droplets subsequently collided with an ultramicroelectrode (UME), resulting in a new form of staircase current decrease. The experimental collision frequency and collision signal were analyzed in relation to the concentration of the polymer. In addition, the degree of polymer aggregation associated with temperature change was also observed.