Responsive Colloidal Polymer Particles with Ordered Mesostructures

Responsive colloidal polymer particles with well-defined shapes and ordered internal mesostructures are attracting increasing attention because of their potential applications in sensors, catalysis, nano-drug carriers, color pigments, and others. Recently, 3D confined assembly of block copolymers in emulsion droplets has emerged as a promising method for fabrication of colloidal polymer particles with controllable shapes and internal structures. In this paper, the recent advances in engineering anisotropically shaped and internally ordered colloidal polymer particles are summarized, followed by highlighting their stimuli-responsiveness and emerging applications. In the last section, the current challenges and future opportunities in this fast growing research field are discussed.

Automated summary

Responsive colloidal polymer particles with well-defined shapes and ordered internal mesostructures have attracted increasing attention for their potential applications in various fields. The 3D confined assembly of block copolymers in emulsion droplets has emerged as a promising method for fabricating these particles. The engineering of anisotropically shaped and internally ordered colloidal polymer particles shows great potential in stimuli-responsiveness and emerging applications.