Thesis (M.Sc.)--Chulalongkorn University, 2007

The factors affecting nanoparticle formation and particle’s morphology were studied. Amphiphilic poly(vinylalcohol-co-vinylcinnamate), poly(vinylalcohol-co-vinyl-4-methoxycinnamate), poly(vinylalcohol-co-vinyl-2,4-dimethoxycinnamate) and poly(vinylalcohol-co-vinyl-2,4,5-trimethoxycinnamate) were prepared using esterification reaction. Poly(vinylalcohol-co-vinylcinnamate) derivatives were able to self-assemble into nanoparticles through dialysis method. It was found that the degree of substitution (DS) of cinnamoyl moieties on PV(OH) backbone inversely correlated with particle’s sizes, but directly correlated with surface-charges of the particles. Particles’s sizes also decreased with the decrease in polymer concentration during self-assembly process. However, molecular weight of PV(OH) backbone, cinnamic acid structure grafted onto PV(OH) backbone and the solvent selected to prepare the obtained particles by dialysis method had no effect on the particle’s sizes and surface charges of the particles.