Block Copolymers Particles: From Synthesis to Application

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer particles with controlled shape and internal structure are receiving increasing interests as promising materials for biological and pharmaceutical applications, photonics, and catalysis.

To date, numerous insights on the self-assembly of multiple components (i.e., block copolymers, nanoparticles, and biomolecules) within emulsions have led to the rapid growth of emulsion assisted fabrication strategies for the creation of soft matter-based colloidal particles with well-defined size, shape, and internal morphologies. In this approach, the soft and mobile interface of emulsion allows spontaneous deformation of the particle shape, affording a one-step generation of non-spherical solid particles. Shape deformation occurs in order to minimize the thermodynamic balance of the overall free energy of the system, therefore this strategy allows a rich variety of shape-anisotropic polymer particles with systematic and programmable controllability.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the recent progress on shape and nanostructure control of polymer particles as well as various applications based on polymer particles. The submitted manuscripts will be fast-track reviewed. Research articles, review articles, perspectives, as well as communications and letters are also invited.

Dr. Kang Hee Ku
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.