Construction and Photoresponsive Transformation of Multicompartment Vesicles Based on Cyanoethenylene-Bearing Amphiphilic Block Copolymers

Abstract Polymer self-assembly represents a promising strategy to fabricate nanostructures with great potential for biomimetic applications. Nevertheless, the precise and controllable construction of cell-like multicompartment architectures still remains a challenge. Herein, we propose a facile, high-efficiency strategy to construct multicompartment vesicles via self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers bearing cyanoethenylene moieties. The copolymers initially self-assemble into uniform spherical vesicles, which were transformed into multicompartment nanostructures driven by modulation of osmotic pressure during solvent switching process. Furthermore, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation induces intermolecular [2+2] cycloaddition of cyanoethenylene groups, which further promotes polymer chain rearrangement and intensified microphase separation. Consequently, the initial large compound vesicles evolve into monodisperse spherical multicompartment nanospheres equipped with discrete internal cavities. The findings in this study offer a versatile platform for the rational design and fabrication of biomimetic multicompartment nanosystems.