The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Structure-shifting polymer particles offer promise for smart soft materials. This study introduces nanostructured colloids formed by confined assembly of bottlebrush random copolymers with a polydisulfide backbone. Unlike compartmentalized colloids from PS/PDMS blends, these particles exhibit inner nanostructures such as lamellae, cylinders, and spheres. Depolymerization of the dynamic backbone induces a morphology shift to compartmentalized structures, with reversible switching achieved through polymerization-depolymerization-repolymerization cycles. Incorporating aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) reveals morphology-dependent photoluminescence, driven by domain size and AIEgen aggregation state.