Branched Cylindrical Micelles via Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly

We report the preparation of branched micelles by the growth of thinner-core cylindrical micelles at the termini of the thicker-core cylindrical micelle seeds through crystallization-driven self-assembly of polyferrocenylsilane block copolymers. The branched micelles possessed structures with monodisperse middle segments and, in most cases, two branches at the seed terminus. After cross-linking of the coronas, the branched micelles become resistant to dissolution in good solvents for both blocks and can be manipulated as colloidally stable nanomaterials.