Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Shape-memory nanoparticles from inherently non-spherical polymer colloids.

Zhongqiang Yang1, Wilhelm T S Huck, Stuart M Clarke

  • 1Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.

Nature Materials
|May 17, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Recyclable glass fiber-reinforced epoxy copper clad laminates for printed circuit board.

Communications chemistry·2026
Same author

Employing molecular beacons to assess in vitro transcription with single-molecule resolution.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Reservoir Computing-Based Glucose Sensing With an Enzymatic Reaction Network.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Timed batch inputs unlock substantially higher yields for enzymatic cascades.

Nature chemistry·2026
Same author

[Comparison of clinical efficacy between total visual endoscopic lumbar fusion and traditional posterior fusion in the treatment of single-segment lumbar spinal stenosis].

Zhongguo gu shang = China journal of orthopaedics and traumatology·2026
Same author

Programmable multimodal actuation in cholesteric liquid crystal elastomer hollow fibers beyond mechanochromism.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Twist-angle-controlled anomalous gating in bilayer graphene/BN heterostructures.

Nature materials·2026
Same journal

Engineered living materials need engineered EU regulation.

Nature materials·2026
Same journal

Multimodal scanning-probe quantum sensing of quantum materials.

Nature materials·2026
Same journal

Publisher Correction: Ultralow-voltage electrochemical organic light-emitting transistors with pinned and wide lateral recombination.

Nature materials·2026
Same journal

High-Chern-number orbital magnetism in twisted rhombohedral graphene.

Nature materials·2026
Same journal

Programming local confinements in crystalline frameworks through reticular chemistry.

Nature materials·2026
See all related articles

Researchers created the first non-spherical polymer nanoparticles with an intrinsic shape. These high-aspect-ratio ellipsoidal nanoparticles are made from liquid crystalline polymers and exhibit reversible shape memory.

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Science
  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Polymer nanoparticles typically adopt spherical shapes due to surface tension and processing forces.
  • The thermodynamically stable form for molten polymer nanoparticles is spherical.
  • Intrinsic shape control in polymer nanoparticles has been a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate the first example of polymer nanoparticles with an intrinsic non-spherical shape.
  • To investigate the formation of controlled-aspect-ratio ellipsoidal polymer nanoparticles.
  • To understand the role of liquid crystallinity and shape memory in nanoparticle morphology.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a mini-emulsion technique for nanoparticle synthesis.
  • Employed main-chain liquid crystalline polymers as the base material.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Characterized nanoparticle shape and dimensions using advanced microscopy and analysis.

    • Main Results:

    • Successfully synthesized high-aspect-ratio ellipsoidal polymer nanoparticles with controlled diameters.
    • Demonstrated that the ellipsoidal shape is an equilibrium characteristic.
    • Established a direct link between the material's shape memory in its monodomain liquid crystal form and the resulting nanoparticle shape.

    Conclusions:

    • Achieved a breakthrough in creating polymer nanoparticles with intrinsic non-spherical shapes.
    • Liquid crystalline polymers possess inherent shape memory that can dictate nanoparticle morphology.
    • This work opens new avenues for designing anisotropic polymer nanoparticles with tailored properties.