Effect of Block Copolymer Architecture on Morphology of Self-Assembled Aggregates in Solution

Abstract

We predict how equilibrium morphology of self-assembled aggregates in dilute solution could be tuned by replacing a linear AB diblock copolymer by a heteroarm star-like or cyclic block copolymer. We demonstrate that in selective solvent AB miktoarm stars or diblock copolymers with cyclic associating block may give rise to cylindrical assemblies or vesicles, while linear diblock copolymers with same composition form only spherical micelles. The theoretical predictions are in line with experimental observations.