Vesicular Aggregates Research Articles

Unique influence of cholesterol on modifying the aggregation behavior of surfactant assemblies: investigation of photophysical and dynamical properties of 2,2'-bipyridine-3,3'-diol, BP(OH)2 in surfactant micelles, and surfactant/cholesterol forming vesicles.

The binding and rotational properties of an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) fluorophore, 2,2'-bipyridine-3,3'-diol, BP(OH)2 has been investigated in alkyltrimethylammonium bromide containing (CnTAB, n = 12, 14, and 16) micelles and alkyltrimethylammonium bromide/cholesterol (CnTAB (n = 14 and 16)/cholesterol) forming vesicles using fluorescence-based spectroscopy techniques. The formation of thermodynamically stable unilamellar self-assemblies of alkyltrimethylammonium bromide/cholesterol are characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. Individually, aqueous solutions of all these alkyltrimethylammonium bromide form micelles after certain surfactant concentration (critical micelle concentration, cmc) of surfactant, whereas cholesterol molecules are insoluble in water. But with the variation of the cholesterol-to-surfactant molar ratio (Q = [cholesterol]/[surfactant]), uniform distribution of vesicular aggregates in aqueous solution can be obtained. The micelle-to-vesicle transition of surfactant solution upon addition of cholesterol also influences the steady state emission profile, fluorescence lifetime, and rotational dynamics of BP(OH)2 molecule. The diketo tautomer of BP(OH)2 molecule gets stabilized as the concentration of surfactant increases in aqueous solution. Fluorescence lifetime and rotational time constant of the BP(OH)2 molecule are also influenced by the variation of alkyl chain length of surfactant molecule. The emission quantum yield (Φ) is also found to be sensitive with surfactant concentration, variation in chain length of surfactants, and it saturates after the cmc of surfactants. The rigid and restricted microenvironment of vesicle bilayer enhance the lifetime and also rotational relaxation of BP(OH)2 significantly. The rotational behavior of BP(OH)2 in surfactant/cholesterol self-assemblies is also explained by using analytical parameters related to time-resolved anisotropy following two-step process and wobbling in a cone models.

CO2-Switchable Supramolecular Block Glycopolypeptide Assemblies.

A novel supramolecular block glycopolypeptide, designed to have the viral building blocks and be sensitive to CO2, a physiological stimulus, was prepared via the orthogonal coupling of two end-functionalized biopolymers, dextran with β-cyclodextrin terminal (Dex-CD) and poly(l-valine) with a benzimidazole tail (BzI-PVal), respectively, driven by the end-to-end host-guest interactions. Due to the CO2-cleavable CD/BzI connection, both the vesicular and fibrous aggregates of this supramolecular block copolymer self-assembled in aqueous solution can undergo a reversible process of disassembly upon "breathing in" CO2 and assembly upon "breathing out" CO2, which mimics, to some extent, the disintegration and construction of viral capsid nanostructures.

Binding of a Protein or a Small Polyelectrolyte onto Synthetic Vesicles

Catanionic vesicles were prepared by mixing nonstoichiometric amounts of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate and dioctyldimethylammonium bromide in water. Depending on the concentration and mole ratios between the surfactants, catanionic vesicular aggregates are formed. They have either negative or positive charges in excess and are endowed with significant thermodynamic and kinetic stability. Vesicle characterization was performed by dynamic light scattering and electrophoretic mobility. It was inferred that vesicle size scales in inverse proportion with its surface charge density and diverges as the latter quantity approaches zero and/or the mole ratio equals unity. Therefore, both variables are controlled by the anionic/cationic mole ratio. Small-angle X-ray scattering, in addition, indicates that vesicles are unilamellar. Selected anionic vesicular systems were reacted with poly-L-lysine hydrobromide or lysozyme. Polymer binding continues until complete neutralization of the negatively charged sites on the vesicles surface is attained, as inferred by electrophoretic mobility. Lipoplexes are formed as a result of significant electrostatic interactions between cationic polyelectrolytes and negatively charged vesicles.

Characterization and stability of catanionic vesicles formed by pseudo-tetraalkyl surfactant mixtures.

The phase behavior of an ad hoc synthesized surfactant, sodium 8-hexadecylsulfate (8-SHS), and its mixtures with didecyldimethylammonium bromide (DiDAB) in water is reported. We dealt with dilute concentration regimes, at a total surfactant content of <30 mmol kg(-1) where vesicular aggregates may be formed. The high synergistic behavior of such catanionic mixtures is concomitant with strongly negative interaction parameters, β (≈-18 kBT), significant gain in the free energy of association, ΔGagg, and much lower association concentration compared to the pure surfactants. Vesicle size and ζ-potential depend on the mixture composition. Hydrodynamic diameters increase by progressive addition of oppositely charged surfactants to the one in excess. Counter-intuitively, the ζ-potential becomes more negative at DiDAB molar fractions close to 0.2. The same holds in the reverse case, the ζ-potential becomes more positive after small additions of 8-SHS; anyhow, the effect is more significant in anionic-rich mixtures. This phenomenon was explained by assuming a significant release of counterions and an asymmetric distribution of the two surfactants in the inner and outer vesicle leaflets. The equimolar mixtures form a cubic phase rather than the expected lamellar one. The effect of NaBr concentration on the stability of catanionic vesicles was also investigated. At high NaBr concentrations, all systems are destabilized. For DiDAB-rich vesicles, flocculation is observed, while for 8-SHS-rich ones, lamellar domains are formed at the bottom of the samples. The role played by NaBr depends on whether it is added before or after mixing the surfactants. In particular, preformed catanionic vesicles show a great kinetic stability towards addition of NaBr compared to those obtained by other procedures.

Supramolecular solvent-based hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction of benzodiazepines

A new, efficient, and environmental friendly hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME) method based on supramolecular solvents was developed for extraction of five benzodiazepine drugs. The supramolecular solvent was produced from coacervation of decanoic acid aqueous vesicles in the presence of tetrabutylammonium (Bu4N+). In this work, benzodiazepines were extracted from aqueous samples into a supramolecular solvent impregnated in the wall pores and also filled inside the porous polypropylene hollow fiber membrane. The driving forces for the extraction were hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding, and π-cation interactions between the analytes and the vesicular aggregates. High-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD) was applied for separation and determination of the drugs. Several parameters affecting the extraction efficiency including pH, hollow fiber length, ionic strength, stirring rate, and extraction time were investigated and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the preconcentration factors were obtained in the range of 112–198. Linearity of the method was determined to be in the range of 1.0–200.0μgL−1 for diazepam and 2.0–200.0μgL−1 for other analytes with coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.9954 to 0.9993. The limits of detection for the target benzodiazepines were in the range of 0.5–0.7μgL−1. The method was successfully applied for extraction and determination of the drugs in water, fruit juice, plasma and urine samples and relative recoveries of the compounds studied were in the range of 90.0–98.8%.

Triblock Polyphiles through Click Chemistry: Self‐Assembled Thermotropic Cubic Phases Formed by Micellar and Monolayer Vesicular Aggregates

Three series of triblock polyphiles consisting of a rigid 4-phenyl-1,2,3-triazole or 1,4-diphenyl-1,2,3-triazole core with three lipophilic and flexible alkoxyl chains at one end and a polar glycerol group at the opposite end were synthesized by copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne click reactions. Their mesophase behavior was studied by polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and XRD. Depending on alkyl chain length and core length, a transition from hexagonal columnar to Pm3n-type cubic phases was observed. In the cubic phases, the molecules are organized as spherical objects. Remarkably, compounds with a longer core unit have a higher tendency to form these cubic phases, and their stability is strongly enhanced over those of the compounds with a shorter core, despite longer cores having a smaller cone angle and therefore being expected to disfavor the formation of spherical objects. There is a large difference in the number of molecules involved in the spherical aggregates formed by compounds with long and short cores. Whereas the aggregates in the cubic phases of the compounds with short rod units are small and could be regarded as micellar, the long-core compounds form much larger aggregates which are regarded as a kind of monolayer vesicular aggregate.

Self-Assembly Behavior of Amphiphilic Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimers with a Shell of Aniline Pentamer

A series of amphiphilic poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (PAMAM, G2-G5) composed of a hydrophilic core and a hydrophobic shell of aniline pentamer (AP) were synthesized and characterized. The modified dendrimers self-assembled to vesicular aggregates in water with the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) decreased in the order of G2 > G3 > G4 > G5. It was found that the modified dendrimers self-organized into spherical aggregates with a bilayer vesicular structures and that the dendrimers in higher generation have more order structure, which may be attributed to the crystallization induced by the compacted effect of AP segments. In addition, larger spherical vesicles were observed under acidic and alkaline conditions, as compared with sizes of aggregates in neutral medium. At low pH, the tertiary amine groups of PAMAM-AP were transformed to ammonium salts; the polarons were formed from AP units by doping with strong acids, thereby leading to the stability of vesicular aggregates being better than that in double distilled water. Nevertheless, in high pH environment, the deprotonation of PAMAM-AP caused the enhancement of π-π interactions, resulting in generation of twins or multilayered vesicles.

Photocleavable glycopolymer aggregates

We present here a water soluble diblock glycopolymer, poly(spiropyran methacrylate)-block-poly(3-O-4-vinylbenzoyl-D-glucopyranose) (PSP-b-PBG), synthesized by the conventional atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique. Irradiation with UV light results in switching of the hydrophobic colorless spiropyran (SP) form to zwitterionic purple coloured merocyanine (MC) increasing the overall polarity of the glycopolymer, resulting in its enhanced affinity towards water. The MC form reverts back to the SP form in the dark or under visible light irradiation, restoring the amphiphilic nature of the polymer. Vesicular aggregates formed by this diblock copolymer in water could be dissociated and reconstructed by alternate UV and visible light irradiation. The ability of these polymersomes to efficiently encapsulate, release and re-encapsulate a hydrophobic dye was also explored.

Association Behaviors of Dodecyltrimethylammonium Bromide with Double Hydrophilic Block Co-polymer Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-Poly(glutamate sodium)

The association behaviors of single-chain surfactant dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) with double hydrophilic block co-polymers poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(sodium glutamate) (PEG(113)-PGlu(50) or PEG(113)-PGlu(100)) were investigated using isothermal titration microcalorimetry, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, circular dichroism, ζ potential, and particle size measurements. The electrostatic interaction between DTAB and the oppositely charged carboxylate groups of PEG-PGlu induces the formation of super-amphiphiles, which further self-assemble into ordered aggregates. Dependent upon the charge ratios between DTAB and the glutamic acid residue of the co-polymer, the mixture solutions can change from transparent to opalescent without precipitation. Dependent upon the chain length of the PGlu block, the mixture of DTAB and PEG-PGlu diblocks can form two different aggregates at their corresponding electroneutral point. Spherical and rod-like aggregates are formed in the PEG(113)-PGlu(50)/DTAB mixture, while the vesicular aggregates are observed in the PEG(113)-PGlu(100)/DTAB mixture solution. Because the PEG(113)-PGlu(100)/DTAB super-amphiphile has more hydrophobic components than that of the PEG(113)-PGlu(50)/DTAB super-amphiphile, the former prefers forming the ordered aggregates with higher curvature, such as spherical and rod aggregates, but the latter prefers forming vesicular aggregates with lower curvature.

PH-Sensitive Polymeric Vesicles from Coassembly of Amphiphilic Cholate Grafted Poly(l-lysine) and Acid-Cleavable Polymer–Drug Conjugate

Herein we report a coassembly method toward the preparation of pH-sensitive polymeric vesicular aggregates, using comb-shaped amphiphilic polymers, i.e., cholate grafted poly(L-lysine) (PLL-CA), with an amphiphilic poly(ethylene glycol)-doxorubicin conjugate (PEG-DOX). Because the drug conjugate includes a low-pH labile bond, i.e., benzoic imine, the permeability of the coassembled polymeric vesicles can be tuned by changing either the PLL-CA/PEG-DOX weight ratio or the environmental pH from 7.4 to 6.5. Furthermore, at lower pH values such as 5.0, the vesicles destabilize. The pH sensitivity leads to enhanced uptake of the vesicles by cancer cells (MCF-7) under a condition close to the extracellular environment of solid tumor (pH = 6.5) and subsequent efficient endosome escape after the endocytosis.

Folate-targeted supramolecular vesicular aggregates as a new frontier for effective anticancer treatment in in vivo model

Supramolecular vesicular aggregates (SVAs), made up by self-assembling liposomes and polyasparthydrazide co-polymers conjugated to folic acid molecules were extensively investigated in this manuscript as potential active targeting formulation for anticancer drug delivery. Folate-targeted systems (FT-SVAs) were used to treat breast cancer and to further proof the potential in vivo administration of these systems for the therapeutic treatment for several aggressive solid tumors. The physicochemical and technological parameters of FT-SVAs are suitable for their potential in vivo administration. The chemotherapeutic activity of GEM-loaded FT-SVAs was increased during in vivo experiments. NOD-SCID mice bearing MCF-7 human xenograft is used as breast cancer model. The measurement of the volume and weight of tumor masses decreased when animal models are treated by using GEM-loaded FT-SVAs, compared to data obtained by using GEM-loaded mPEG-SUVs and the free form of GEM. An almost complete regression of the tumor (∼0.2cm3) was observed in NOD-SCID mice bearing MCF-7 human xenografts treated by GEM-loaded FT-SVAs due to the noticeable improvement of GEM pharmacokinetic parameters provided by FT-SVAs with respect to native anticancer drug. The obtained data showed that supramolecular systems could represent an innovative drug delivery system by self-assembling liposomes and biocompatible polymers to be potentially used for anticancer treatment.

Supramolecular Assembly of Conjugated Polymers Containing Polyoxometalate Terminal Side Chains in Polar and Nonpolar Solvents

Clever combination: Three linear polymers containing polyoxometalate clusters on the side chains have been studied in both polar and nonpolar solvents. These polymers show amphiphilic properties in a nonpolar solvent (toluene) and form reverse vesicular supramolecular aggregates, while displaying polyelectrolyte properties in polar solvents and assembling into hollow tubelike structures (see scheme).

TCF/Lef1-Mediated Control of Lipid Metabolism Regulates Skin Barrier Function

Defects in the function of the skin barrier are associated with a wide variety of skin diseases, many of which are not well characterized at the molecular level. Using Lef1 (lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1) dominant-negative mutant mice, we demonstrate here that altered epidermal TCF (T cell factor)/Lef1 signaling results in severe impairment of the stratum corneum skin barrier and early postnatal death. Barrier defects were accompanied by major changes in lipid composition and ultrastructural abnormalities in assembly and extrusion of lipid lamellae of the interfollicular epidermis, as well as abnormal processing of profilaggrin. In contrast, tight-junction formation and stratified organization of the interfollicular epidermis was not obviously disturbed in Lef1 mutant mice. Molecular analysis revealed that TCF/Lef1 signaling regulates expression of lipid-modifying enzymes, such as Elovl3 and stearoyl coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD1), which are key regulators of barrier function. Promoter analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments indeed showed that SCD1 is a direct target of Lef1. Together, our data demonstrate that functional TCF/Lef1 signaling governs important aspects of epidermal differentiation and lipid metabolism, thereby regulating skin barrier function.

Star-like supramolecular polymers fabricated by a Keplerate cluster with cationic terminated polymers and their self-assembly into vesicles

The electrostatic combination of a Keplerate cluster, [Mo(132)O(372)(CH(3)COO)(30)(H(2)O)(72)](42-) with cationic terminated poly(styrene) yields polyoxometalate-based supramolecular star polymers, which can further self-assemble into vesicular aggregates in CHCl(3)-MeOH mixed solvent.

Self-assembly and alterable relaxivity of an organic cation-encapsulated gadolinium-containing polyoxometalate

A new amphiphilic molecule bearing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and quaternary ammonium group, was designed and synthesized to encapsulate paramagnetic Gd(III)-containing polyoxometalate (Gd-POM) through electrostatic interaction for obtaining a water-soluble organic-inorganic hybrid building block based on POM. The yielding organic cation-encapsulated Gd-POM (OCEP-Gd) complex exhibited water-solubility and amphiphility, leading to the spontaneous self-assembly into a regular vesicular structure with PEO chains towards water phase and POM units locating at the middle. The vesicular aggregate which has a regular monolayer structure, was further studied by means of dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Due to the synergy of different building units, the self-assembly of the complexes was demonstrated to be efficient to adjust the ability of Gd-POM to accelerate relaxation of water-proton, which results from the paramagnetic property of Gd-POM, to a large extent. The present work provides a new methodology to obtain water-soluble hybrid building blocks based on POM, which may generate more hybrid self-assembly structures in aqueous solution and further direct POM-based materials towards biomedical applications.

Spontaneous Orthogonal Self‐Assembly of a Synergetic Gelator System

Dedicated to ngel Guti rrez Ravelo on the occasion of his 68th birthday ACHTUNGTRENNUNG(Organo)gel materials have been exhaustively developed over the past two decades, however the recent interest for advanced functional nanomaterials has made this area of research particularly exciting. Organogels based on low molecular weight organic gelators (LMWOGs) are formed by self-assembled fibrillar networks (SAFINs), which are produced by a combination of weak non-covalent physical interactions including hydrogen bonding, p–p stacking, dipole–dipole or donor–acceptor interactions, metal coordination and van der Waals interactions. Gels based on strong chemical bonds cannot be redissolved and consequently, they do not show thermoreversible gel–sol transitions. The enhancement of the mechanical strength and thermostabilities of the gels has therefore become crucial for numerous applications in the area of material science. In view of some of the applications of gelator systems, we recently became interested in organic non-covalent interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) materials, more specifically, in the investigation of 3D organogel networks and their effects on the physico-chemical properties in the systems. Different groups have reported various examples of these innovative materials, which are synthesised under suitable conditions and characterised by a special network structure consisting of two types of morphologies of different physico-chemical nature. Van Esch and co-workers have recently reported that hydrogelators could undergo an orthogonal, independent selfassembly process in the presence of micellar and vesicular aggregates, with the subsequent coexistence of gel fibres within the formed nanostructures. Herein, we report the potential of two gelator systems (with different solvent-dependent abilities) to gel by self-assembly processes and their ability to spontaneously self-organise and simultaneously assemble into a novel nanomaterial containing two different interconnected porous and fibre-type domains. The final nanomaterial can remarkably improve the properties of related or similarly generated independent organogels. The multi-gelator gels comprise two different types of aggregates, which are spontaneously and simultaneously assembled. With this purpose, we employed a mixture of two different organogelators 1 and 2. Firstly, organogelator 1 is a synergistic multi-component organogelator liquid system, in which the gelation phenomenon of oxygenated solvents takes place at low temperature (after gentle heating of the isotropic solution). Organogelator 2 is an oligoamide, which exclusively produces stable organogels in chlorinated solvents upon cooling of the gently heated isotropic solution. The organogel properties of both gelator systems (1 and 2) have been reported previously.

Vesicle and Stable Monolayer Formation from Simple “Click” Chemistry Adducts in Water

Click chemistry has been successfully extended into the field of molecular design of novel amphiphatic adducts. After their syntheses and characterizations, we have studied their aggregation properties in aqueous medium. Each of these adducts forms stable suspensions in water. These suspensions have been characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The presence of inner aqueous compartments in such aggregates has been demonstrated using dye (methylene blue) entrapment studies. These aggregates have been further characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), which indicates the existence of bilayer structures in them. Therefore, the resulting aggregates could be described as vesicles. The temperature-induced order-to-disorder transitions of the vesicular aggregates and the accompanying changes in their packing and hydration have been examined using high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry, fluorescence anisotropy, and generalized polarization measurements using appropriate membrane-soluble probe, 1,6-diphenylhexatriene, and Paldan, respectively. The findings of these studies are consistent with each other in terms of the apparent phase transition temperatures. Langmuir monolayer studies confirmed that these click adducts also form stable monolayers on buffered aqueous subphase at the air-water interface.

Electrophoretic deposition of amphiphilic diacetylene supramolecules: polymerization, selective immobilization, pattern transfer and sensor applications

We describe the results of electrophoretic deposition characteristics of a conjugated polymer, polydiacetylene (PDA), that reveal film forming behavior, polymerization effects, pattern transfer capabilities, and fluorescence based thermo/mechano-responsive features of the deposited layer. The electric field applied in a two electrode system promotes the oriented motion of diacetylene (DA) supramolecules in aqueous solution in a direction that is determined by the charge polarities of tailorable pendant groups on the DA monomers. Through this mechanism, electrophoretic deposition of DA supramolecules on a conductive layer takes place to yield vesicular clustered aggregates with continuous leaf-like morphologies. In addition, unusual conformational changes of the DA monomers during the deposition result in the formation of polymerized blue colored PDAs on the working electrode. Based on these properties, selective deposition of the supramolecules on pre-patterned templates and consequent pattern transfer to a flexible substrate can be utilized to fabricate PDA-based microarray sensors. The chromatic change of the vesicles induced by an applied mechanical stress during pattern transfer is found to be dependent on the side groups of the DA monomers. Owing to inherent non-fluorescence to fluorescence transition features of PDA supramolecules occurring as a response to thermal perturbations, electrophoretically deposited PDA vesicles are employed to monitor the temperature of a heat dispensing micro-heater device.

Folate-targeted supramolecular vesicular aggregates based on polyaspartyl-hydrazide copolymers for the selective delivery of antitumoral drugs

Supramolecular vesicular aggregates (SVAs) have the advantage of combining the safe and biocompatible properties of colloidal vesicular carriers based on phospholipids with those of polymeric materials, i.e. polyaspartyl-hydrazide (PAHy) copolymers. To provide SVAs with a certain tumour selectivity, folate moieties were chemically conjugated to PAHy copolymers. Physicochemical properties (mean sizes, polydispersity index and zeta potential) of folate-targeted SVAs (FT-SVAs) loaded with gemcitabine were evaluated. The antiproliferative and anticancer activity of gemcitabine-loaded FT-SVAs was evaluated against two cancer cell lines, i.e. MCF-7 cells which over-express the folate receptor and the BxPC-3 cells, which do not over-express this receptor. Gemcitabine-loaded FT-SVAs showed a significantly ( p < 0.001) greater and more specific in vitro anticancer activity with respect to both the free drug and the drug-loaded conventional liposomes or untargeted SVAs. Confocal microscopy, flow cytometry analysis and β-scintillation highlighted that FT-SVAs were able to interact with MCF-7 cells after just 3 h and to increase the amount internalization in cells over-expressing the folate receptor. The in vivo biodistribution and pharmacokinetic experiments showed that gemcitabine-loaded SVAs and FT-SVAs were removed from the circulatory system at a slower rate than the native drug and a prolonged gemcitabine plasma concentration was observed for up to 16 h. SVAs were accumulated mainly in the lungs, spleen and kidneys, while FT-SVAs were also up taken by brain. These interesting and stimulating results suggest the existence of a possible in vivo application of SVAs and encourage the use of folate as a targeting agent in anticancer therapy.

Solvent Dependent Assembly of a Polyfluorene−Polythiophene “Rod−Rod” Block Copolyelectrolyte: Influence on Photophysical Properties

We report the solvent-driven assembly of a polyelectrolytic polyfluorene-polythiophene diblock copolymer-poly[9,9-bis(2-ethylhexyl)fluorene]-b-poly[3-(6-trimethylammoniumhexyl)thiophene] (PF2/6-b-P3TMAHT)-in tetrahydrofuran (THF), water, their 1:1 mixture and in subsequently prepared thin films, as investigated using a combination of scattering, microscopic and photoluminescence techniques. In solution PF2/6-b-P3TMAHT forms large (>100 nm) aggregates which undergo a transition from objects with surface fractal interface (THF) to ones with a significant planar component due to the presence of the 2-dimensionally merged ribbon-like aggregates or fused walls of the observed vesicular aggregates [THF-water (1:1)]. In THF-water and water the blocks are loosely segregated into P3TMAHT and PF2/6 rich domains, with PF2/6 dominating the aggregate interior. Depending on solvent, the spun films contain either aggregates with a crystalline interior (THF) or large 200 nm-2 microm vesicular aggregates embedded in a featureless matrix (THF-water and water). Structural variations are concomitant with distinctive solvatochromic changes in the photophysical properties including a color change from deep red (THF) to pale orange (THF-water and water) in solution, a decrease in fluorescence quantum yield with increasing water content, and a shift from photoluminescence of individual PF2/6 blocks (THF) to efficient PF2/6 --> P3TMAHT energy transfer (THF-water and water).