Temperature-responsive aqueous micelles from terpyridine end-capped poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-block-polystyrene diblock copolymers.

An attractive concept for designing "smart materials" is the combination of supramolecular interactions with thermoresponsive polymers. Here, this concept is illustrated by preparing aqueous micelles from poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-block-polystyrene copolymers functionalized at the extremity of their poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) coronal chains by terpyridine ligands. The effect of temperature and of the addition of Zn(II) ions on the self-assembling properties is then studied.