title: Efficient synthesis of single gold nanoparticle hybrid amphiphilic triblock copolymers and their controlled self-assembly.
abstract: We report on a robust approach to the size-selective and template-free synthesis of asymmetrically functionalized ultrasmall (<4 nm) gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) stably anchored with a single amphiphilic triblock copolymer chain per NP. Directed NP self-assembly in aqueous solution can be facilely accomplished to afford organic/inorganic hybrid micelles, vesicles, rods, and large compound micelles by taking advantage of the rich microphase separation behavior of the as-synthesized AuNP hybrid amphiphilic triblock copolymers, PEO-AuNP-PS, which act as the polymer-metal-polymer analogue of conventional amphiphilic triblock copolymers. Factors affecting the size-selective fabrication and self-assembly characteristics and the time-dependent morphological evolution of NP assemblies were thoroughly explored.
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
authors.forename: Jinming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Guoying
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shiyong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu