The generation of polymeric nano-bowls through 3D confined assembly and disassembly.

Xu, Jiangping; Wu, Yuqing; Wang, Ke; Shen, Lei; Xie, Xiaolin; Zhu, Jintao · Soft Matter · 2016

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Here we present a facile yet robust strategy to prepare polymer nano-bowls through 3D confined assembly and disassembly of block copolymers. Unlike the previously reported methods, this strategy allows for generation of nano-bowls with precisely controllable opening degree and thickness. Typically, polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) nano-bowls can be generated through confined assembly of PS-b-P4VP with homopolystyrene (hPS) to form Janus particles, followed by the crosslinking of P4VP domains and disassembly of PS domains. The opening degree of the nano-bowls can be precisely controlled by the weight fraction of hPS, and the thickness can be tailored by the varying molecular weight of PS-b-P4VP. By selectively loading gold nanoparticles in P4VP domains, it is anticipated that the resulting hybrid nano-bowls would be useful for surface enhanced Raman scattering and potential catalytic reaction applications.