Giant hexagonal superstructures in diblock-copolymer membranes.

We have observed polymersomes of high genus with their vesicle wall organized on the micrometer scale either in a double bilayer connected by a lattice of passages or a tubular network with hexagonal symmetry. Experimentally found shape classes are identified within a theoretical phase diagram based on the bending energy of the polymer membrane. Pronounced morphological changes could be induced and controlled by temperature.

[1]  U. Seifert,et al.  Hyperviscous diblock copolymer vesicles , 2002 .

[2]  Galen D. Stucky,et al.  Biomimetic synthesis of ordered silica structures mediated by block copolypeptides , 2000, Nature.

[3]  D. Hammer,et al.  Polymersomes: tough vesicles made from diblock copolymers. , 1999, Science.

[4]  Gerhard Gompper,et al.  SHAPES AND SHAPE TRANSFORMATIONS OF TWO-COMPONENT MEMBRANES OF COMPLEX TOPOLOGY , 1999 .

[5]  S. Förster,et al.  Synthesis of PB-PEO and PI-PEO block copolymers with alkyllithium initiators and the phosphazene base t-BuP4. , 1999 .

[6]  F. Bates,et al.  Giant wormlike rubber micelles , 1999, Science.

[7]  G. Fredrickson,et al.  Block Copolymers—Designer Soft Materials , 1999 .

[8]  Reinhard Lipowsky,et al.  Spontaneous curvature of fluid vesicles induced by trans-bilayer sugar asymmetry , 1999, European Biophysics Journal.

[9]  G. Gompper,et al.  Composition-Driven Shape Transformations of Membranes of Complex Topology , 1998 .

[10]  Stephen Mann,et al.  Synthesis of inorganic materials with complex form , 1996, Nature.

[11]  Xavier Michalet,et al.  Observation of Stable Shapes and Conformal Diffusion in Genus 2 Vesicles , 1995, Science.

[12]  Seifert,et al.  Conformal degeneracy and conformal diffusion of vesicles. , 1993, Physical review letters.

[13]  Bensimon,et al.  Experimental and theoretical study of toroidal vesicles. , 1992, Physical review letters.

[14]  Seifert,et al.  Vesicles of toroidal topology. , 1991, Physical review letters.

[15]  Reinhard Lipowsky,et al.  The conformation of membranes , 1991, Nature.

[16]  W. Helfrich Elastic Properties of Lipid Bilayers: Theory and Possible Experiments , 1973, Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. Teil C: Biochemie, Biophysik, Biologie, Virologie.

[17]  T. Charitat,et al.  Lattice of passages connecting membranes , 1997 .