Pronounced Cold Crystallization and Hydrogen Bonding Distortion of Water Confined in Microphases of Double Zwitterionic Block Copolymer Aqueous Solutions

Langmuir. 2024 Sep 17;40(37):19612-19618. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02254. Epub 2024 Sep 3.

Abstract

Advanced materials leveraging water control are garnering considerable interest, with the state of water emerging as a critical aspect of material design. This study explored the impact of microphase separation on water using aqueous solutions of double zwitterionic diblock copolymers, specifically poly(carboxybetaine methacrylate) and poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PCB2-b-PSB4). These copolymers form a mesoscale periodic ordered lattice structure consisting of two distinct aqueous phases. Through differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray emission spectroscopy, it was found that water in these PCB2-b-PSB4 aqueous solutions exhibits pronounced cold crystallization and subtle distortions in hydrogen-bonding configurations.