Self‐assembly of block copolymers for biological applications

Abstract

Self‐assembly of block copolymers (BCPs) has garnered much attention over the past several decades owing to an array of intriguing properties. In this perspective, recent advances in self‐assembly and applications of BCPs with different architectures are presented. First, the self‐assembly mechanism of BCPs and the general criteria to evaluate the assembled morphologies are introduced. Subsequently, the self‐assembly of linear, star‐like and bottlebrush‐like BCPs is discussed. In particular, polymerization‐induced self‐assembly for large‐scale preparation is highlighted. Afterwards, a rich diversity of applications of self‐assembled BCPs in drug delivery, bioimaging, molecular recognition and photothermal therapy are outlined. Finally, an outlook on larger‐scale production and implementation of self‐assembled BCPs for biological applications is noted. © 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry.

Amphiphilic Block Copolymer Grafted Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Based Hierarchical Nanohybrids for Effective Epoxy Toughening

“…The morphological analysis of the grafted filler is highly essential as there is the possibility of formation of self-assembled nanostructures. ,− The grafted fillers themselves can form highly hierarchical nanostructures due to the inherent nature of the selected block copolymer to self-assemble into different morphologies. In our previous studies, it was observed that the same block copolymer was capable of forming different morphologies like spherical micelle, caterpillar-like, and gigantic octopus in the polymer matrix .…”

Polymersomes: Soft Nanoparticles from Miktoarm Stars for Applications in Drug Delivery

“…Self-assembly is extensively utilized in nature for creating complex architectures including the membrane of living cells from small amphiphilic molecules such as phospholipids. 1,2 It is accompanied by the formation of hydrophobic domains protected by hydrophilic ones, which make contact with water or other polar environments. 3 Self-assembly is based on weak noncovalent interactions and is a low-cost and fast method that can be scaled up.…”

“…1 Since the free energy of the block copolymers usually depends on polymer chain entropies and other complex kinetic factors, the packing parameter does not necessarily explain the self-assembly in detail, and various structures can be obtained by changing subtle conditions of the self-assembly process such as the preparation method, solvent mixture, solvent polarity, and tuning the interactions between chains in the core of assemblies. 2,12,14 The morphology of the self-assemblies from amphiphilic block copolymers can also be predicted based on the hydrophilic fraction, f (ratio of the mass of the hydrophilic block to the total mass of the copolymer), an estimation based on the dimensionless packing parameter. 12,15 Spherical and cylindrical micelles are typically obtained with a hydrophilic fraction of about 0.5, vesicular structures when 0.25 < f < 0.45; if f is less than 0.25, the reverse assemblies are obtained (Figure 1).…”

“…Self-assembly is extensively utilized in nature for creating complex architectures including the membrane of living cells from small amphiphilic molecules such as phospholipids. , It is accompanied by the formation of hydrophobic domains protected by hydrophilic ones, which make contact with water or other polar environments . Self-assembly is based on weak noncovalent interactions and is a low-cost and fast method that can be scaled up. − Amphiphilic block copolymers contain hydrophilic/hydrophobic components, which undergo microphase separation in an aqueous medium due to incompatibility of the blocks in the copolymer with the polar environment .…”

“…The packing parameter is calculated based on geometric considerations . Since the free energy of the block copolymers usually depends on polymer chain entropies and other complex kinetic factors, the packing parameter does not necessarily explain the self-assembly in detail, and various structures can be obtained by changing subtle conditions of the self-assembly process such as the preparation method, solvent mixture, solvent polarity, and tuning the interactions between chains in the core of assemblies. ,, …”