Multicompartment Vesicles: A Key Intermediate Structure in Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly of Graft Copolymers

The morphological evolution of graft copolymer-based nano-objects was monitored by light scattering and electron microscopy during their formulation in water polymerization induced self-assembly using a photo-mediated reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer mechanism. copolymer models used were composed dextran backbone bearing poly(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate) grafts two degrees (X). At full monomer conversion, unilamellar vesicles (ULVs) large compound (LCNs) formed when targeting X = 100 500, respectively. For 100, some spherical, worm-like, then jellyfish-like structures progressively observed before the ULVs formation. cryotomography revealed an unprecedented intermediate morphology from onset called multicompartment vesicle (MCV) that fused to form LCN. formation MCV attributed local phase separation between residual 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate inducing appearance multiple hydrophilic cores.