We report the first molecular model for the transition states ~critical nuclei! that determine the rate of micelle formation and breakdown. These processes, and homogeneous nucleation of macroscopic phase separation are handled in a unified way. It turns out that with micelle-forming amphiphiles several new features appear that do not occur with ordinary phase separation. We predict that the ac...

We synthesize a series of block copolymers comprising a polystyrene (PS) block and an imidazolium-functionalized PS (IL) block and characterize their assembly properties. We use small-angle neutron scattering and dynamic light scattering to determine the micelle size and shape in dilute solutions and to assess the micelle interactions in concentrated solutions. By studying a series of copolymer...

We have designed a pathway for controlling the critical micelle concentration and micelle size of polyester-based systems. This was achieved by creating an array of different copolymers with semicrystalline or amorphous hydrophobic blocks. The hydrophobic block was constructed through ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone, L-lactide, and ε-decalactone, either as homopolymers or random c...

Structural modifications of AOT/water/isooctane reverse micelles due to incorporation of proteins were studied at various water contents and protein concentrations, using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments under static conditions, rheometry analysis, and SR-SAXS experiments under induced shear flow. Two proteins, lysozyme (pI 11.1, Mw 14,300 Da) and BSA (pI 4.3, Mw 66,700 Da), were...

Proton-transfer kinetics in both ionic and neutral reverse micelles were studied by time-correlated single-photon counting investigations of the fluorescent photoacid 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate (HPTS). Orientational dynamics of dissolved probe molecules in the water pools of the reverse micelles were also investigated by time-dependent fluorescence anisotropy measurements of MPTS, the m...