Polydimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (PDMAEMA) was used as a multidentate ligand to modify the surface of CdSe/ZnS core-shell colloidal quantum dots in toluene with trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as the surface ligand. Adsorption of PDMAEMA was accompanied by release of TOPO. The process is free of agglomeration, and the modified nanocrystals become soluble in methanol. The photoluminescence properties are well-preserved in either toluene or methanol.

A supramolecular AB diblock copolymer has been prepared by the sequential self-assembly of terpyridine end-functionalized polymer blocks by using Ru(III)/Ru(II) chemistry. By this synthetic strategy a hydrophobic poly(ferrocenylsilane) (PFS) was attached to a hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) block to give an amphiphilic metallo-supramolecular diblock copolymer (PEO/PFS block ratio 6:1). This compound was used to form micelles in water that were characterized by a combination of dynamic and static light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. These complementary techniques showed that the copolymers investigated form rod-like micelles in water; the micelles have a constant diameter but are rather polydisperse in length, and light scattering measurements indicate that they are flexible. Crystallization of the PFS in these micelles was observed by differential scanning calorimetry, and is thought to be the key behind the formation of rod-like structures. The cylindrical micelles can be cleaved into smaller rods whenever the temperature of the solution is increased or they are exposed to ultrasound.

A series of well-defined coil−crystalline−coil PFP-b-PFS-b-PDMS triblock copolymers (PFP = poly(ferrocenylphenylphosphine), PFS = poly(ferrocenyldimethylsilane), and PDMS = poly(dimethylsiloxane)) of narrow polydispersity (PDI 1.04−1.06) with short PFP blocks of variable length and PFS:PDMS ratios of ca. 1:5−1:12 were prepared by sequential anionic ring-opening polymerization of the [1]phosphaferrocenophane fcPPh (fc = Fe(η-C5H4)2), the [1]silaferrocenophane fcSiMe2, and the cyclic siloxane [Me2SiO]3. Hexane is a selective solvent for PDMS in these ABC triblock copolymers. In the case of the very short PFP blocks (DP ⩽ 6), self-assembly afforded cylindrical micelles with an organometallic core and a PDMS corona. For the sample with the longest PFP block (DP = 11), we found spherical micelles. These results are consistent with increased disruption of the crystallization of the PFS block as the PFP block is increased in length, favoring formation of spherical rather than low curvature cylindrical structures. Results of wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurements support this conclusion.

The first organometallic miktoarm star copolymer, PFS(PI)3 (PFS = polyferrocenyldimethylsilane, PI = polyisoprene) with PDI of 1.04 was synthesized through anionic polymerization by using SiCl4 as the coupling agent and its well‐defined structure was characterized by using GPC and 1H NMR spectroscopy. In contrast to analogous diblock copolymers with similar PFS volume fractions which self‐assemble to form cylindrical structures, PFS(PI)3 formed unimolecular micelles in the PI selective solvent, hexane. magnified image

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