Understanding the Induced Self-Assembly System Between PEO-b-PAA and Iron

Abstract

The induced self-assembly phenomenon between PEO-b-PAA and Fe(II) was investigated. It was revealed that the electrostatic interaction between Fe(II) in the form of green rust (GR²⁺) particles and the COO- groups from the PAA backbone at pH 7 causes the formation of stable aggregates with Dh~156 nm. While it is stable at pH 7, the induced self-assembly structure, however, is disordered during the transformation of GR²⁺ into Fe₃O₄. The pH increment and the oxidation process itself were found to affect the stability.