Block copolymer self-assembly in solution

嵌段共聚物囊泡（BCV）是可以在溶液中由两亲性二嵌段共聚物制备的中空球体。它们的大小不等。100到了。1000 nm，壁厚约为1000 nm。20纳米。在早期的工作中，我们已经表明，嵌段共聚物囊泡可以通过控制制备条件非常容易地制备。它们是包括球形胶束和棒的形态连续体的一部分。与脂质体一样，BCV在药理学（药物递送）、化妆品和催化等领域的许多潜在应用中有希望，但比脂质体稳定得多。我们最近已经表明，许多囊泡参数，如大小和壁厚，可以通过外部制备条件和聚合物组合物控制。我们还表明，有可能在一个步骤中制备具有不同内部和外部界面的囊泡。此外，我们已经表明，可以根据需要软化壁以允许活性填充成分，例如阿霉素（一种癌症杀手），通过硬化壁来锁定成分，然后根据需要“重新打开它”以释放内容物。我们还表明，通过交换内部和外部界面来反转囊泡是可能的。我们现在打算探索囊泡中的一种“呼吸”机制，这种机制使囊泡能够以大约1/2的倍数反复地增加或减少其体积。10 x内。1分钟这将允许非常快速地吸收和释放成分。我们还学会了如何将纳米粒子，如树枝状聚合物内囊泡壁，现在建议系统地研究包括一些不同的物种，包括催化剂到囊泡壁。此外，我们建议检查将特定几何形状（如球体）的物种纳入嵌段共聚物聚集体，并研究所产生的聚集体的形态发生上的强相互作用的效果。其他几个次要的研究，包括探索通过囊泡壁的扩散和囊泡的空腔内的大分子的截留。

Block copolymer vesicles (BCVs) are hollow spheres which can be prepared in solution from amphiphilic diblock copolymers. They range in size from ca. 100 to ca. 1000 nm, with a wall thickness of ca. 20 nm. In early work, we have shown that block copolymer vesicles can be prepared very easily by controlling the preparation conditions. They are part of a morphological continuum which includes spherical micelles and rods. Like liposomes, BCVs are promissing in many potential applications in fields such as pharmacology (in drug delivery), cosmetics and catalysis, but are much more stable than liposomes. We have shown recently that many vesicle parameters, such as size and wall thickness, can be controlled by external preparative conditions and polymer composition. We have also shown that it is possible to prepare, in one step, vesicles with different interior and exterior interfaces. Furthermore, we have shown that it is possible to soften the wall on demand to permit active filling with ingredients such is doxorubicin (a cancer killer), to lock in the ingredients by hardening the wall, and than to "re-open it" on demand to release the contents. We have also shown that it is possible to invert the vesicles by exchanging the interior and exterior interfaces. We now propose to explore a "breathing" mechanism in vesicles which allows them to increase or decrease their volume repeatedly by a factor of ca. 10x within ca. 1 minute. This would allow the uptake and release of ingredients very rapidly. We have also learned how to incorporate nanoparticles such as dendrimers within vesicles walls, and now propose to study systematically the inclusion of a number of different species, including catalysts into vesicle walls. In addition, we propose to examine the incorporation of species of specific geometry (e.g. spheres) into block copolymer aggregates and to study the effect of strong interactions on morphogenesis of the resulting aggregates. Several other minor studies are contemplated including the exploration of diffusion through vesicle walls and the entrapment of large molecules inside the cavities of vesicles.