A panoply of stimuli-sensitive polymorphic polymer assemblies has been constructed through the intentional synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers comprising hydrophilic, stimulus-responsive, and hydrophobic blocks. Transformations among canonical micellar forms of polymer assemblies-spherical micelles, wormlike micelles, and vesicles (polymersomes)-have been demonstrated with a number of synthetic systems. This presentation will discuss recent progress in the development and understanding of these systems with a focus on open questions about kinetics of shape change, effects of block copolymer architecture on the rate and nature of the transformation, and potential applications.

Shape-changing polymer assemblies

247th National Meeting (2014)

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