A Simple Route to Asymmetric Composite Particles via Co-assembly of Block Copolymer and Inorganic Nanoparticles in Solution

Abstract

Abstract.A novel approach to organic-inorganic asymmetric particles through the co-assembly of block copolymers (BCs) and magnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) in solution is demonstrated. When 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) modified Fe 3 O 4 NPs and an amphiphilic block copolymer polystyrene-b-poly (2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) were mixed in THF, asymmetric composite particles formed due to the hydrogen bonding interactions between -SH groups of the MUA molecules coated on Fe 3 O 4 NPs and P2VP blocks. The asymmetric particles obtained by this facile approach may have potential applications in biomedical areas.