title: Crystallization-driven solution self-assembly of block copolymers with a photocleavable junction.
abstract: Light-responsive block copolymers have been prepared with a crystallizable core-forming poly(ferrocenyldimethylsilane) (PFS) block, a corona-forming segment of poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP), and a photocleavable o-nitrobenzyl (ONB) junction. These PFS-ONB-P2VP materials form monodisperse cylindrical micelles by living crystallization-driven self-assembly in a selective solvent for P2VP. The P2VP coronas were readily removed by photocleavage at the ONB linker, leading to PFS cylinders with a residual percentage of corona chains dependent on the photoirradiation time. Addition of PFS block copolymer unimers to a solution of the cylinders with ca. 10% residual coronal chains led to the formation of branched rather than linear micelles. The synthetic utility of the PFS-ONB-P2VP materials was further demonstrated by the preparation of nearly monodisperse P2VP nanotubes of tunable length using a strategy that also involved corona cross-linking.
authors: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Gao
authors: Huibin
authors: H
authors: Qiu
authors: Hang
authors: H
authors: Zhou
authors: Xiaoyu
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Harniman
authors: Mitchell A
authors: MA
authors: Winnik
authors: Ian
authors: I
authors: Manners