Tuning of multicompartment micelles from cross-linkable ABC triblock copolymer with the addition of core-forming homopolymer

Multicompartment disks with bumpy edges could be synthesized controllably by dissolving a linear ABC amphiphilic triblock copolymer of polystyrene-b-polybutadiene-b-poly (2-vinylpridine) (PS440-b-PBd1020-b-P2VP114) in selective solvent mixtures of toluene and methanol. The disk size was controllable by the initial copolymer concentration. Diameter of the disks increased with the increase of the copolymer concentration. Interestingly, through adding a homo-PS to the system morphological transition took place from multicompartment disk with bumpy edges to sphere, and to hollow sphere with bumpy surfaces. Furthermore, the diameters of the hollow spheres increased with the increase of the homo-PS content, whereas the diameters of the hollows remained unchanged. Moreover, the PB block could be cross-linked by UV irradiation, stabilizing the preformed structure.