Precision control of one-/two-dimensional assemblies for Poly(hexamethylene carbonate) block copolymers

Abstract

The precision control of monodisperse nanomaterials with spatially distinct functionalities and properties is of particular interest in materials science. Creating biocompatible/biodegradable nanoparticles that can be colloidally stable in aqueous solution further paves the way to a broad range of bio-related applications. In present work, we demonstrate the precise fabrication of aliphatic polycarbonate based one-dimensional (1D) cylinders and 2D platelet micelles using living crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) by seeded growth method. By synthesizing aliphatic polycarbonate core-forming block copolymers with different corona-to-core ratios, excellent control over dimensions of 1D cylinders and 2D platelets with good uniformity is achieved through effectively epitaxial growth in ethanol based on the mass ratios of unimer-to-seed. Meanwhile, segmented nanoparticles with spatially-defined chemistries can further be prepared by sequential seeded growth approach. Moreover, these 1D/2D nanostructures are colloidally stable in water, and further show excellently biocompatible property towards L929 cells. These promising properties of polycarbonate-based micelles enable to a wide application as cargo vehicles in bio-related fields.