Fabrication of the Polymersomes with Unique and Even Nonequilibrium Morphologies

Abstract

Herein, efficient fabrication of polymersomes that have unique and nonequilibrium morphologies is reported. Starting from preparing big polymeric vesicles sized around 2 µm with a flexible but crosslinkable structure, a controllable morphological transformation process from the vesicles via prolate vesicles and the pearl‐chain‐like structure, which are the two intermediate structures, to vesicle‐end‐capped tubes is conducted. Significantly, each of the intermediates is a regular polymersome and occupies a distinct phase space in the transformation process and thus can be separately processed and prepared. By crosslinking the structures, respectively, regular polymersomes with unique but stable morphologies are fabricated. Furthermore, the 1D polymersomes contain narrow necks. These narrow necks are sensitive to ultrasound vibration and broken by gentle ultrasound treatment to form regular open‐ended tubes and open‐ended vesicles, which are nonequilibrium but stable morphologies and difficult to prepare by existing methods.

Oppositely Charged Interfacial Janus Nanoparticles Induce the Formation of Highly Ferroelectric Poling-Free PVDF Films for Piezoelectric Energy Generation

“…We first synthesized the diblock copolymer PDMAEMA- b -P­( t BMA- co -CMA) as the precursor using RAFT polymerization (Figures S1,) . The synthesis of SJNPs involved the stepwise intrachain cross-linking of the two blocks, utilizing the photomonomer CMA for dimerization under UV–visible (UV–vis) light in the P­( t BMA- co -CMA) segment, and quaternization reaction between tertiary amine groups in the PDMAEMA segment through cross-linker 1,2-bis­(2-iodoethoxy)­ethane (BIEE) (Figure S3).…”

“…We first synthesized the diblock copolymer PDMAEMA-b-P(tBMA-co-CMA) as the precursor using RAFT polymerization (Figures S1,2). 40 The synthesis of SJNPs involved the stepwise intrachain cross-linking of the two blocks, utilizing the photomonomer CMA for dimerization under UV−visible (UV−vis) light in the P(tBMA-co-CMA) segment, and quaternization reaction between tertiary amine groups in the PDMAEMA segment through cross-linker 1,2-bis(2-iodoethoxy)ethane (BIEE) (Figure S3). The specific steps were as follows: 20 mg of PDMAEMA 90 -b-P(tBMA 130 -co-CMA 30 ) was dissolved in 40 mL of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and stirred overnight, followed by UV−vis irradiation at 365 nm for 3 h to obtain tadpole-like single-chain particles cross-linked with the P(tBMA-co-CMA) segment.…”

Kinetically Controlled and Nonequilibrium Assembly of Block Copolymers in Solution

“…In addition to fusion, polymersomes can be manipulated postassembly to adopt a variety of morphologies, some of which constitute nonequilibrium states. , The selective permeability of a polymersome membrane can be exploited to force a shape transformation. Osmotic pressure is introduced by varying the ratio of good to bad solvent, , changing salt concentration, or by the addition of a solute unable to permeate across a membrane, such as PEG. − This drives a shape transformation of the polymersome, which persists until pressure equilibration.…”

Controlled node growth on the surface of polymersomes

“…[6][7][8][9] Recently, a few investigations have been carried out into the deformation of isotropic (spherical) polymersomes to produce anisotropic structures. 10,11 Global deformation of polymersome membranes (i.e., changing the shape of the entire particle by adjusting membrane curvature) has been achieved by several methods, including the use of osmotic shock, [12][13][14][15] unimer crosslinking, 16,17 particle fusion [18][19][20] or insertion of a second helical polymer. 21 The shape of a nanoparticle oen determines its properties, including therapeutic performance.…”