Multicompartment nanoparticles from the self-assembly of mixtures of ABC and AC block copolymers in C-selective solvents

Confined Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers within Emulsion Droplets: A Perspective

When the self-assembly of block copolymers (BCPs) occurs within organic emulsion droplets in the aqueous phase, the strong structural frustration of BCP chains causes the formation of a series of well-regulated BCP particles that cannot be obtained from the self-assembly of BCPs in the bulk state or solution. In this Perspective, we review the recent progress of the self-assembly of BCPs confined in emulsion droplets. The governing factors of the structure and morphology of the as-prepared BCP particles are summarized. In addition, the applications of the as-prepared BCP particles in photonic crystals and drug release are discussed. Finally, we also give a forward-looking perspective on future challenges in this field.

Recent progress in the self-assembly of block copolymers confined in emulsion droplets

When the self-assembly of block copolymers (BCPs) occurs within a deformable emulsion droplet, BCPs can aggregate into a variety of nanoscaled particles with unique nanostructures and properties since the confinement effect can effectively break the symmetry of a structure.

Stepwise study on Janus-like particles fabricated by polymeric mixtures within soft droplets: a Monte Carlo simulation

Janus particles were fabricated using different polymer mixtures and the self-assembly behavior for different particles was compared.

The Configuration of Copolymer Ligands on Nanoparticles Affects Adhesion and Uptake

Nanoparticles (NPs) are promising carriers for targeted drug delivery, photodynamic therapy, and imaging probes. A fundamental understanding of the dynamics of polymeric NP targeting to bilayer membranes is important to enhance the design of NPs for higher adhesion, binding percentage, and efficiency. In this study, dissipative particle dynamics simulations are applied to investigate the adhesion and uptake processes of the rod, spherical, and striped NPs to cell membranes. It is observed that the striped ligands can prevent NPs from rotating even in active rotation. We further optimize striped NP to a more stabilized structure. Uptake processes of NPs with different configurations are thoroughly investigated in our simulations and among which Janus NP are indicated to improve the penetration rate to 100%. These findings provide better insight into patterned NP design and may help fabricate new NPs for biomedical applications.

Self-assembly of ABC triblock copolymers under 3D soft confinement: a Monte Carlo study

Under three-dimensional (3D) soft confinement, block copolymers can self-assemble into unique nanostructures that cannot be fabricated in an un-confined space. Linear ABC triblock copolymers containing three chemically distinct polymer blocks possess relatively complex chain architecture, which can be a promising candidate for the 3D confined self-assembly. In the current study, the Monte Carlo technique was applied in a lattice model to study the self-assembly of ABC triblock copolymers under 3D soft confinement, which corresponds to the self-assembly of block copolymers confined in emulsion droplets. We demonstrated how to create various nanostructures by tuning the symmetry of ABC triblock copolymers, the incompatibilities between different block types, and solvent properties. Besides common pupa-like and bud-like nanostructures, our simulations predicted various unique self-assembled nanostructures, including a striped-pattern nanoparticle with intertwined A-cages and C-cages, a pyramid-like nanoparticle with four Janus B-C lamellae adhered onto its four surfaces, an ellipsoidal nanoparticle with a dumbbell-like A-core and two Janus B-C lamellae and a Janus B-C ring surrounding the A-core, a spherical nanoparticle with a A-core and a helical Janus B-C stripe around the A-core, a cubic nanoparticle with a cube-shape A-core and six Janus B-C lamellae adhered onto the surfaces of the A-cube, and a spherical nanoparticle with helical A, B and C structures, from the 3D confined self-assembly of ABC triblock copolymers. Moreover, the formation mechanisms of some typical nanostructures were also examined by the variations of the contact numbers with time and a series of snapshots at different Monte Carlo times. It is found that ABC triblock copolymers usually aggregate into a loose aggregate at first, and then the microphase separation between A, B and C blocks occurs, resulting in the formation of various nanostructures.

Self-assembly of nanostructured block copolymer nanoparticles

In this highlight, we discuss the self-assembly of block copolymer (BCP) nanoparticles. We first review the state-of-art of hierarchical structural features of BCP nanoparticles due to 3D geometric confinement, both theory and experiments. Simultaneously, we highlight the applications based on these structural features: the generation of multifunctional hybrid nanoparticles, the fabrication of mesoporous BCP nanoparticles, and applications of using BCP nanoparticles as nanocontainers or nanocargos. Finally, we discuss the challenge in the fabrication and potential applications of nanostructured BCP nanoparticles.