Scaling Behavior of Solution Self-Assembled Micelle of Sequence-Controlled Bottlebrush Copolymer

In this study, we present extensive dissipative particle dynamics simulation studies of bottlebrush copolymers in solution having different grafting sequences: block and random. Distinct morphology of the grafting sequence-controlled bottlebrush copolymer micelles is investigated through backbone chain distribution along with the micelle structure. As a result, bottlebrush block copolymer (BBCP) micelles exhibit backbone chain primarily dependent on length scale of micelle size, while bottlebrush random copolymer (BRCP) exhibits side chain-dependent length scale. We further quantify the dependence of the micelles on the length scale of the backbone chain and side chain using the scaling relationship. We decouple the size of the micelles into core radius and corona thickness, and scaling behavior of these structures is quantitatively explained by the conformation of backbone chains and side chains. Also, the experimental scaling of BBCP and BRCP micelles in water shows consistent results of the sequence-dependent scaling exponents calculated by simulation. This work reveals the scaling behavior of the sequence-controlled graft copolymer micelles which potentially guides how one can modify the solution self-assembled complex micelles by controlling architecture and structure parameters of the bottlebrush copolymer.