Fluorescent poly(n-hexyl isocyanate) triblock terpolymer and its thermoreversible gels

Abstract Thermoreversible gels were obtained from the well-defined triblock terpolymer poly(n-hexyl isocyanate)-b-polybutadiene-b-poly(n-hexyl isocyanate) (PHIC-b-PB-b-PHIC). PHIC-b-PB-b-PHIC adopted a helical conformation and exhibited florescence in solution. The gels were prepared in both n-heptane and n-octane. The gelation concentration and temperature could be affected by various factors. Hydrogen bonding and intermolecular aggregation were the driving forces to form stable thermoreversible gels. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that the microstructure of the gels consisted of aggregates of fibrous nanoribbons. Because of their thermosensitivity and fluorescence, the thermoreversible gels have potential applications in sensors and temperature-sensitive switches. Graphical Abstract