Front Cover: Polyphosphazenes – Synthetically Versatile Block Copolymers (“Multi‐Tool”) for Self‐Assembly (Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 22/2018)

Abstract

The Front Cover shows the synthesis of polyphosphazene block copolymers (“Polymer Synthesis Building”) and the nanostructured morphologies created by their self-assembly (“Self-Assembly Department”). The opportunities offered by a decisive macromolecular substitution of the chlorine atoms of the [N=PCl2]n blocks by selected nucleophiles (“Chemical Modification”) can be exploited to achieve block copolymers that can self-assemble to afford a variety of nanomorphologies such as toroidal micelles, bicontinuous nanospheres, vesicles, porous films, spherical micelles, or helical nanoarchitectures. More information can be found in the Microreview by A. P. Soto et al. For more on the story behind the cover research, see the Cover Profile.