Complex and hierarchical micelle architectures from diblock copolymers using living, crystallization-driven polymerizations
Complex and hierarchical micelle architectures from diblock copolymers using living, crystallization-driven polymerizations
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DOI:
10.1038/nmat2356
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发表时间:
2009-02-01
期刊:
影响因子:
41.2
通讯作者:
Manners, Ian
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
Gaedt, Torben;Ieong, Nga Sze;Manners, Ian
Block copolymers consist of two or more chemically distinct polymer segments, or blocks, connected by a covalent link. In a selective solvent for one of the blocks, core-corona micelle structures are formed. We demonstrate that living polymerizations driven by the epitaxial crystallization of a core-forming metalloblock represent a synthetic tool that can be used to generate complex and hierarchical micelle architectures from diblock copolymers. The use of platelet micelles as initiators enables the formation of scarf-like architectures in which cylindrical micelle tassels of controlled length are grown from specific crystal faces. A similar process enables the fabrication of brushes of cylindrical micelles on a crystalline homopolymer substrate. Living polymerizations driven by heteroepitaxial growth can also be accomplished and are illustrated by the formation of tri- and pentablock and scarf architectures with cylinder-cylinder and platelet-cylinder connections, respectively, that involve different core-forming metalloblocks.