Pluronic P-123 is the tradename for a triblock copolymer manufactured by the BASF Corporation. The nominal chemical formula is HO(CH2CH2O)20(CH2CH(CH3)O)70(CH2CH2O)20H, which corresponds to a molecular weight of around 5800 g/mol. Triblock copolymers based on poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(propylene glycol)-poly(ethylene glycol) are known generically as poloxamer, and similar materials are manufactured by other companies.
Poloxamers have behaviors similar to those of hydrocarbon surfactants, and will form micelles when placed in a selective solvent such as water. They are capable of forming both spherical and cylindrical micelles
Uses
P-123 has recently been used in the synthesis of mesoporous materials including FDU-14. Dissolved P-123 forms micelles that are used as the backbone to make structured mesoporous materials such as SBA-15.
"Potential Degradation by Sonication" Wang et al. reported that aqueous solutions of poloxamer 188 (Pluronic® F-68) and poloxamer 407 (Pluronic® F-127) sonicated in the presence or absence of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) can become highly toxic to cultured cells. Moreover, toxicity correlated with the sonolytic degradation of the polymers.