Structure and Behavior of Polydiacetylene‐Based Micelles

The effect of photopolymerization on the structure, stability and encapsulation properties of polydiacetylene micelles containing nitrilotriacetic acid head groups are investigated. Micellar nanostructures of 7–10 nm diameter are identified that are invariant after polymerization. In the micelles, the polymerized ene‐yne chains are much shorter than in planar lipid membranes. SANS confirmed the presence of a monodisperse population of small particles before and after polymerization. It is shown that the CMC decreases manifold after micelle photopolymerization, indicating that it stabilizes the micellar structure. After photopolymerization, these micelles preserved their strong ability to solubilize a hydrophobic pigment, which makes them potentially interesting as drug delivery vehicles. magnified image