A review of the formation and classification of amphiphilic block copolymer nanoparticulate structures: micelles, nanospheres, nanocapsules and polymersomes

Amphiphilic block copolymers are able to form a range of different nanoparticulate structures. These include micelles, nanospheres, nanocapsules, and polymersornes. This review attempts to clarify some of the terminology used in the literature by providing an overview of the major features of each type of nanoparticle and the factors that influence the formation of particular nanoparticulate formulations. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.