Topology-regulated Co-assembly of Single Chain Polymer Nanoparticles and Block Copolymers into Hierarchical Micelle@Vesicle Composite Structures

Bai-Xue Deng; Hong-Zhu Lai; Li Jiang; Lin Yu; Lin Cheng; Dao-Yong Chen

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3713-7

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Topology-regulated Co-assembly of Single Chain Polymer Nanoparticles and Block Copolymers into Hierarchical Micelle@Vesicle Composite Structures

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-08-31

- Topology-regulated Co-assembly of Single Chain Polymer Nanoparticles and Block Copolymers into Hierarchical Micelle@Vesicle Composite Structures
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Issue 9, Pages: 2982-2989(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
  b.School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241002, China
- Author bio：
  
  jiangli22@ahnu.edu.cn (L.J.)
  chendy@fudan.edu.cn (D.Y.C.)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3713-7
  CLC：
- Received：02 April 2026，
  
  Accepted：13 April 2026，
  
  Online First：09 June 2026，
  
  Published：05 September 2026
- Accepted：
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Deng, B. X.; Lai, H. Z.; Jiang, L.; Yu, L.; Cheng, L.; Chen, D. Y. Topology-regulated co-assembly of single chain polymer nanoparticles and block copolymers into hierarchical micelle@vesicle composite structures. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 2982–2989

Bai-Xue Deng, Hong-Zhu Lai, Li Jiang, et al. Topology-regulated Co-assembly of Single Chain Polymer Nanoparticles and Block Copolymers into Hierarchical Micelle@Vesicle Composite Structures[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(9): 2982-2989.
Deng, B. X.; Lai, H. Z.; Jiang, L.; Yu, L.; Cheng, L.; Chen, D. Y. Topology-regulated co-assembly of single chain polymer nanoparticles and block copolymers into hierarchical micelle@vesicle composite structures. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 2982–2989 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3713-7.

Bai-Xue Deng, Hong-Zhu Lai, Li Jiang, et al. Topology-regulated Co-assembly of Single Chain Polymer Nanoparticles and Block Copolymers into Hierarchical Micelle@Vesicle Composite Structures[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(9): 2982-2989. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3713-7.

摘要

Topology-regulated co-assembly of single-chain polymer nanoparticles and block copolymers proceeds through a stepwise pathway

forming hierarchical micelle@vesicle composite structures and offering a new strategy for constructing complex polymer assemblies.

Abstract

Polymer co-assembly provides a versatile route to hierarchical nanostructures

yet achieving precise structural control remains a significant challenge. In particular

understanding how topological differences in polymer building blocks influence co-assembly behavior is important for expanding the design of complex polymer materials. In this work

a co-assembly system of amphiphilic block copolymers (BCPs) and single chain polymer nanoparticles (SCPs) was designed to investigate the effect of topological variations. At certain SCP/BCP mass ratios

BCPs and SCPs co-assembled to form a hierarchical composite structure with vesicles growing on the surface of micelles

following a path-dependent stepwise co-assembly mechanism

where SCPs co-assembled with BCP to form core micelles and self-assembled into vesicles from the micelle surface into hierarchical micelle@vesicle (M@V) composite structure. The SCP/BCP mass ratio significantly influences the morphology and size of the M@V composite structure

and the strategy is applicable to copolymer systems with wide range of hydrophobic/hydrophilic volume ratios. This work provides new insights into topology-regulated polymer co-assembly and offers a useful strategy for the design of hierarchical and multifunctional polymer materials.

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