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Vesicles in Multiple Shapes: Fine-Tuning Polymersomes' Shape and Stability by Setting Membrane Hydrophobicity
Jens Gaitzsch1, Lea Messager2, Eloise Morecroft3
1Departement of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, BPR1096, 4058 Basel, Switzerland. jens.gaitzsch@unibas.ch.
Polymers
|April 11, 2019
Summary
Amphiphilic block-copolymers self-assemble into diverse structures beyond micelles and vesicles. Controlling mixture composition, temperature, and formation time yields novel self-assembled materials like lamellar vesicles and closed tubes.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Supramolecular Chemistry
Background:
- Amphiphilic block-copolymers self-assemble into well-defined structures like micelles and vesicles.
- Understanding the full range of self-assembly possibilities is crucial for advanced materials design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore self-assembly structures beyond conventional micelles and vesicles using amphiphilic block-copolymers.
- To investigate the influence of preparation parameters on the resulting self-assembled morphologies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized amphiphilic AB diblock and ABC triblock copolymers.
- Varied mixture composition, preparation temperature, and formation time-scale.
- Characterized the self-assembled structures formed.
Main Results:
- Achieved self-assembly into micelles and vesicles.
- Observed novel structures including internal micelles within larger sheets, lamellar vesicles, and closed tubes.
- Demonstrated control over structure formation through parameter manipulation.
Conclusions:
- Expanded the known repertoire of self-assembly structures for amphiphilic block-copolymers.
- Provided deeper insights into the factors governing self-assembly pathways and final morphologies.
- Opened new avenues for designing complex nanostructures with tailored properties.