Versatile strategies for fabricating polymer nanomaterials with controlled size and morphology

The development of reliable synthetic routes to polymer nanomaterials with well-defined size and morphology is a critical research topic in contemporary materials science. The ability to generate nanometer-sized polymer materials can offer unprecedented, interesting insights into the physical and chemical properties of the corresponding materials. In addition, control over shape and geometry of polymer nanoparticles affords versatile polymer nanostructures, encompassing nanospheres, core-shell nanoparticles, hollow nanoparticles, nanorods/fibers, nanotubes, and nanoporous materials. This review summarizes a diverse range of synthetic methods (broadly, hard template synthesis, soft template synthesis, and template-free synthesis) for fabricating polymer nanomaterials. The basic concepts and significant issues with respect to the synthetic strategies and tools are briefly introduced, and the examples of some of the outstanding research are highlighted. Our aim is to present a comprehensive review of research activities that concentrate on fabrication of various kinds of polymer nanoparticles.