Polymeric self-assembly changes by surface-modified and in-situ-grown nanoparticles

The morphology of polymeric self-assembled structures can be changed by environmental conditions, including pH, temperature, and various additives such as ions, cosolvents, nanoparticles (NPs), and so on. Studies have focused on the size and shape of NPs to investigate the effect of NP incorporation into polymeric structures. In this study, qualitative NP effect is experimentally investigated in terms of the compatibility of NPs with the self-assembled templates. Hydrophobically/hydrophilically surface-modified gold nanoparticles (AuNP) of 20 nm diameter systematically modify the surfactant number (Ns) of the self-assembled organic templates accordingly, where the driving force is determined by the hydrophilic–lipophilic force balance. AuNPs grown in situ at equlibrium in the template, decrease the Ns, reflecting selective growth of NPs in one of the self-assembly domains. Fractal density (α) and correlation length (ζ) of the self-assembled structures are prominently increased by any type of AuNP incorporation.