Recognition-Mediated Assembly of Nanoparticle-Diblock Copolymer Micelles with Controlled Size

Random polystyrene-based diblock copolymers with strongly interacting hydrogen-bonding units, diaminotriazine (triaz) functionality, on one of the blocks (PS/S-triaz) were used to assemble complementary thymine (Thy)-functionalized gold nanoparticles (Thy−Au) into micellar aggregates. The role of each of these blocks on the aggregate size was investigated by synthesizing two different series of diblock copolymers: in the first series unfunctionalized block (polystyrene block) length was kept constant and the recognition element functionalized block (triaz block) length increased; in the second series, triaz block length was kept constant and polystyrene block length increased. The size of these self-assembled aggregates was determined in solution by using dynamic light scattering and in thin films by using transmission electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering.