A dumbbell-like supramolecular triblock copolymer and its self-assembly of light-responsive vesicles

Abstract

This work reports the synthesis, self-assembly and light-responsive disassembly of a novel dumbbell-like supramolecular triblock copolymer (DSTC). The DSTC has an amphiphilic hyperbranched-linear-hyperbranched structure and can self-assemble into monolayer vesicles in water. In addition, the vesicles could disassemble into unimers under UV light due to the trans-to-cis isomerization of the AZO groups.