Soft patchy micelles

Abstract

Colloids with patches, which refer physically or chemically distinct domains at their surface, have broaden the range of complex superstructures that can be achieved by self-assembly. Similarly, patches are recently introduced on micelles which are called “soft patchy micelles”. Due to soft interaction potential between patches on micelles, it holds great potential to form unique soft superstructures at nanoscale. In this review, we first describe a recent development in the synthesis of soft patchy micelles. Diblock amphiphilic copolymers are encapsulated into uniform emulsion which are then aggregated and reformed into patchy micelles with surfactants at interface. Alternatively, triblock amphiphilic copolymers are assembled into uniform spherical patchy micelles via stepwise micellization process. For cylindrical or platelet micelles, block copolymers with crystallizable core-forming blocks are introduced for monodisperse cylindrical or platelet patchy micelles by sequential growth of core blocks. Finally, we discuss how those soft patchy micelles are assembled into two or three-dimensional superstructures by hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction, electrostatic attraction or coordination between patches, showing potentials of micellar structure as a soft designer micelles.