Non-equilibrium dynamics of block copolymer micelles in solution: recent insights and open questions

Abstract

The increasing variety and complexity of block copolymers leads to a large morphological diversity of self-assembled structures. This, in turn, opens the way for numerous new applications in fields spanning from drug delivery and templated synthesis of nanoporous materials to oil extraction. However, unlike low-molecular weight surfactants, the dynamics of block copolymer systems can be very slow, which has important consequences for carrying out reliable experiments and for their use in practical applications. This paper highlights the mechanism of non-equilibrium block copolymer dynamics, and discusses micellization and transition kinetics between spherical and rod-like micelles by examining the present knowledge and posing some open questions.