We
combine state-of-the art synthesis, simulations, and physical
experiments to explore the tunable, responsive character of telechelic
star polymers as models for soft patchy particles. We focus on the
simplest possible system: a star comprising three asymmetric block
copolymer arms with solvophilic inner and solvophobic outer blocks.
Our dilute solution studies reveal the onset of a second slow mode
in the intermediate scattering functions as the temperature decreases
below the θ-point of the outer block, as well as the size reduction
of single stars upon further decreasing temperature. Clusters comprising
multiple stars are formed and their average dimensions, akin to the
single star size, counterintuitively decrease upon cooling. A similar
phenomenology is observed in simulations upon increasing attraction
between the outer blocks and is rationalized as a result of the interplay
between interstar associations and steric repulsion between the star
cores. Since our simulations are able to describe the experimental
findings reliably, we can use them with confidence to make predictions
at conditions and flow regimes that are inaccessible experimentally.
Specifically, we employ simulations to investigate flow properties
of the system at high shear rates, revealing shear thinning behavior
caused by the breakup of interstar associations under flow. On the
other hand, the zero-shear viscosity obtained experimentally exhibits
a rather weak activation energy, which increases upon rising star
concentration. These findings demonstrate the unusual properties of
telechelic star polymers even in the dilute regime. They also offer
a powerful toolbox for designing soft patchy particles and exploring
their unprecedented responsive properties further on.