title: Flow-directed block copolymer micelle morphologies via microfluidic self-assembly.
abstract: The self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers in a gas-liquid microfluidic reactor produces variable, flow-directed micellar morphologies entirely different from off-chip equilibrium structures. A polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) copolymer, which forms exclusively spheres off-chip, generates kinetic cylinders, Y-junctions, bilayers, and networks by a mechanism of collision-coalescence enabled by strong and localized on-chip shear fields. Variation in the size and relative amount of flow-directed nanostructures is achieved by changing the water content and flow rate. These results demonstrate on-chip processing routes to specific functional colloidal nanostructures.
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 3065, Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 3V6.
authors: Chih-Wei
authors: CW
authors: Wang
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Sinton
authors: Matthew G
authors: MG
authors: Moffitt