Size control of mesoscale aqueous assemblies of quantum dots and block copolymers

Dropwise addition of water to blend solutions of block copolymer-stabilized quantum dots (QDs) and amphiphilic block copolymer stabilizing chains PS(665)-b-PAA(68) (PS = polystyrene, PAA = poly(acrylic acid)) in DMF induces self-assembly to form photoluminescent mesoscale QD/block copolymer colloids in water termed QD compound micelles (QDCMs). Here we demonstrate reproducible kinetic control of QDCM particle size and chain stretching within the external PAA stabilizing layer via changes in the initial polymer concentration and rate of water addition. By increasing the initial polymer concentration or decreasing the rate of water addition for a constant blend composition, larger QDCM particles are obtained. From a combination of transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering, the thickness of the external PAA layer is determined for various QDCM sizes, showing that PAA stretching in the external brush layer increases with increasing particle size, reaching the limit of fully extended chains for sufficiently large particles. The photoluminescence spectra from QDCMs in pure water indicate that photoluminescence properties of the block copolymer-stabilized QD building blocks are retained during self-assembly. The demonstrated control of mesoscale particle size and conformation of the stabilizing PAA layer, among other related structural parameters, via simple variation of experimental conditions is a promising step toward the application of QDCM assemblies in photonics and biolabeling.