Abstract
Two samples of poly(sodium(sulfamate-carboxylate) isoprene)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymer (SCIEO-1 and SCIEO-2) differing in molecular weight and relative length of polyelectrolyte blocks have been used as templates for the synthesis of cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles in aqueous media. The double-hydrophilic copolymer SCIEO has very high 1D charge density, and its polymer chain structure mimics that of polysaccharide heparin.
It is soluble in aqueous media, but the addition of cadmium acetate (Cd(Ac)2) to its aqueous solution causes the formation of micellar aggregates with Cd2+containing insoluble cores above the threshold Cd2+ concentration. The trapped Cd2+ ions can be chemically transformed to CdS nanoparticles.
The stability of hybrid SCIEO/CdS micelles depends on the ratio of PEO-to-SCI lengths.