Recent progress in the self-assembly of block copolymers confined in emulsion droplets

Abstract

When the self-assembly of block copolymers (BCPs) occurs within a deformable emulsion droplet, BCPs can aggregate into a variety of nanoscaled particles with unique nanostructures and properties since the confinement effect can effectively break the symmetry of a structure. On the other hand, the self-assembled BCP particles can serve as the scaffolds to further direct the spatial arrangement of functional inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) via co-assembly or in situ deposition, thus generating diverse hybrid functional BCP/NP composites with enhanced properties. Here, we summarize the recent progress in the confined self-assembly of BCPs within the emulsion droplet and spatial arrangement of NPs on the resulting BCP scaffolds. This feature article focuses on the influence of multiple factors, including the oil/water interfacial properties, confinement degree, intrinsic properties of BCPs, additives, pH value, and temperature, on the nanostructures of the self-assembled BCP particles as well as the spatial arrangement of NPs on the BCP scaffolds from both experiment and simulation studies.