Emergent Hybrid Nanostructures Based on Non‐Equilibrium Block Copolymer Self‐Assembly

Catching the worm: Long myelin-like tubules of a polyethylene oxide-polybutylene oxide block copolymer are kinetically unstable but can be trapped by silica incorporation to produce hybrid nanostructures with high shape anisotropy (see TEM image). Sequestration of mixtures of organosilanes and metal alkoxides or drug molecules in the polymer mesophase gives rise to a range of novel functional nanomaterials.