Stimuli-responsive polymers. Dissipative particle dynamics study of the modification of properties and architectures of co-assembled polyelectrolyte nanostructures by introduction of functionalized groups.
Project supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Zuzana Limpouchová
Amphiphilic copolymers and polyelectrolytes respond to external stimuli and form various nanostructures in complex aqueous solutions containing other species. Chemical modification of hydrophilic, hydrophobic or charged copolymers can change their aggregation behavior and cause the formation of new structures or even prevent the assembly at all. Better understanding of the thermodynamics of such solutions is necessary to tailor the stimuli-responsive polymer architectures for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. The project assumes extensive dissipative particle dynamics study of polymer systems.
