Shaping Block Copolymer Microparticles by Positively Charged Polymeric Nanoparticles

Shape-transforming block copolymer (BCP) microparticles have attracted extensive attention due to their promising applications in nanotechnology, biomedicines, interfacial science, and other fields. As their performance is highly associated to their shape and structure, it is very important to realize the precise control of particle shape. In this report, a method is proposed to regulate the shape and structure of polystyrene-b-polydimethoxysiloxane (PS-b-PDMS) microparticles by using positively charged core-crosslinked nanoparticles (CNPs) as a cosurfactant, combining with cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The electrostatic repulsive interactions between CNPs and CTAB dominate the shape of PS-b-PDMS particles. Upon introducing NaCl, the electrostatic repulsion is reduced, resulting in the reshape of PS-b-PDMS particles from striped Janus ellipsoids to onion-like microspheres at a critical concentration of NaCl (c_NaCl ). Interestingly, it is found that the critical c_NaCl first increases then reaches a plateau, with the increase in the crosslinking degree of the CNPs. The work provides a simple strategy to tailor the morphology of BCPs by manipulating the electrostatic interaction.