Hollow Nanospheres from Polyisoprene-block-poly(2-cinnamoylethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(tert-butyl acrylate)

A polyisoprene- block -poly(2-cinnamoylethyl methacrylate)- block -poly( tert -butyl acrylate), PI- b -PCEMA- b -P t BA, sample with 3.7 × 10 2 units of isoprene, 4.2 × 10 2 units of CEMA, and 5.5 × 10 2 units of t BA was synthesized. The triblock formed spherical micelles with a P t BA corona, PCEMA shell, and PI core in THF/methanol with methanol volume fractions between 50% and 99%. After micellar structure “locking in” by UV cross-linking of PCEMA, the PI block of the triblock was degraded by ozonolysis to yield nanospheres with a central cavity. The cavities were loaded with rhodamine B, a compound with size similar to those of many drug compounds.