Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers: From Nanostructure to Function to Applications

Self-assembly leads to diverse and interesting properties and function which emanate from the nano- and meso-scale organization of constituents such as surfactants, lipids, and polymers. Block copolymers, in particular, are prime examples of tunable materials. Selective solvents provide valuable degrees of freedom for controlling the self-assembled morphology and, hence, structure/property relationships and can dramatically affect the local mobility. Incorporation of "hard" nanoparticles into a "soft" matrix can modify dramatically the structure and dynamics, and also confer novel properties (optical, electrical, catalytic).

The presentation will highlight the interplay between (A) fundamental aspects (thermodynamics, interactions, structure, dynamics) of complex fluids and soft materials based on the self-assembly of block copolymers in selective solvents, and (B) applications of such self-assembled systems in the (a) structuring of waterborne fluids and surfaces with properties tailored for pharmaceutics and biomedical applications, (b) environmentally benign synthesis of metal and semiconductor nanoparticles in a size- and shape-controlled manner, and (c) formulation of polymer gels with ionic liquids as potential electrolytes for energy applications.

The utilization of block copolymers of the poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(propylene oxide) (PEO-PPO) family, commercially available as Pluronics or Poloxamers and approved for pharmaceutical use, enables the direct translation of fundamental knowledge to practice.