Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Hybrid Nano Building Blocks via Self-Collapse of Polymer Single Chains

Abstract

Nano building blocks (NBBs) decorated with well-defined polymer tethers have emerged as a promising type of building blocks for constructing hierarchical materials through programmable self-assembly. We present a general and facile strategy for preparing hybrid NBBs composed of silica-like heads decorated with well-defined polymer tethers by the self-collapse of polymer single chains. Using amphiphilic block copolymers (BCPs) of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-[poly(methyl methacrylate)-co-poly(3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate)] (PEO-b-P(MMA-co-TMSPMA)), the intramolecular hydrolysis and polycondensation of silane moieties led to the formation of hybrid NBBs with silica-like heads and PEO tethers. The formation of hybrid NBBs was carefully characterized by gel permeation chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and static/dynamic light scattering. In a mixed solvent of THF/water, amphiphilic NBBs could assemble into spherical micelles, vesicles, and large...