POLYSTYRENE BLOCK POLY(2-CINNAMOYLETHYL METHACRYLATE) NANOSPHERES WITH CROSS-LINKED SHELLS

Polystyrene-bloch-poly(2-cinnamoylethyl methacrylate), PS-b-PCEMA, for ms spherical micelles with PCEMA corona and PS core in THF/acetonitril e with 10%, by volume, of THP. Nanospheres with cross-linked PCEMA she lls are obtained by photolyzing the sample with UV light. Despite the PCEMA corona, the degree of intermicellar fusion is low at CEMA conver sions less than similar to 40%. The nanospheres, with greater than sim ilar to 10% CEMA conversions, are dispersible and structurally stable in THF or toluene which solubilizes both PS and un-cross-linked PCEMA.