Temperature-responsive self-assembly of star block copolymers with poly(ionic liquid) segments

Responsive vesicles from the self-assembly of crystalline-coil polyferrocenylsilane-block-poly(ethylene oxide) star-block copolymers.

We demonstrate the synthesis and characterization of star-shaped crystalline-coil block copolymers with four arms consisting of an inner block of poly(ethylene oxide) and an outer semicrystalline compartment of poly(ferrocenyldimethylsilane), [PEO(50) -b-PFDMS(35)](4). The materials were synthesized by transition-metal-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of dimethylsila[1]ferrocenophane in th...

Enzymatically triggered self-assembly of block copolymers.

The polymerization of vinyl monomers with cleavable enzymatic substrates has been shown to lead to water-soluble double-hydrophilic block copolymers which, upon enzymatic activation of the diblock copolymers, become amphiphilic and undergo self-assembly into colloidal nanostructures. The ability to change the chemical and physical characteristics of polymeric materials by an enzymatic reaction ...

Self-assembly of rod-coil block copolymers.

We present a self-consistent field theory model for the self-assembly behavior of rod-coil block copolymers. The orientational interactions between the rods were modeled through a Maier-Saupe interaction, while the enthalpic interactions between rods and coils were modeled through a standard Flory-Huggins approach. We outline a "real-space" numerical approach to solve the self-consistent field ...

Block Copolymers: Synthesis, Self-Assembly, and Applications

Research on block copolymers (BCPs) has played a critical role in the development of polymer chemistry, with numerous pivotal contributions that have advanced our ability to prepare, characterize, theoretically model, and technologically exploit this class of materials in a myriad of ways in the fields of chemistry, physics, material sciences, and biological and medical sciences. The breathtaki...

Functional Nanocomposites from Self-assembly of Block Copolymers with Nanoparticles