Faceted polymersomes: a sphere-to-polyhedron shape transformation

Area of Science:

• Polymer Science and Engineering
• Materials Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Creating soft, deformable, non-spherical polymeric nanoparticles (polymersomes) via block copolymer self-assembly is challenging.
• Existing methods often yield spherical structures, limiting applications requiring complex morphologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the self-assembly of perylene-bearing block copolymers into faceted, fluorescent polymersomes.
• To visualize and understand the polymersome faceting process and the underlying shape transformation pathway.
• To show control over intermediate morphologies for potential applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a perylene-bearing block copolymer for self-assembly into polymersomes.
• Employed advanced imaging techniques for experimental visualization of the entire polymersome faceting process.
• Analyzed the sphere-to-polyhedron shape transformation driven by perylene aggregation.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized intrinsically fluorescent polymersomes with complex, faceted polyhedral shapes.
• Provided the first experimental visualization of the complete polymersome faceting process.
• Identified perylene aggregation within the polymersome shell as the driving force for shape transformation.

Conclusions:

• The study elucidates a novel sphere-to-polyhedron shape transformation pathway in polymersomes.
• Controllable isolation of intermediate morphologies was achieved, highlighting the process's significance.
• Findings offer opportunities for non-spherical polymersomes in drug delivery, nanoreactors, and templating.