INS2-0952
From Nonequilibrium Polymer Assembly to Adaptive Nanomedicine: A Physical-Chemistry Perspective
Topic
S2. High-End Characterization/Polymer Physics/Properties
When and Where
Oct 1, 2026
11:10 - 11:35
Room 103
Session Chairs
Soo-Hyung CHOI
Presenter(s)
Petr Stepanek (Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Polymeric nanoparticles are fundamentally nonequilibrium objects whose internal organization, dynamics, and biological function are dictated by the physicochemical pathways through which they are formed. Most polymeric nanoparticles are produced by solvent-exchange processes such as nanoprecipitation or microfluidic mixing, which impose rapid changes in solvent quality and kinetically arrest polymer chains before thermodynamic equilibration can occur.
Structural analyses (SAXS, TEM) show that polymeric nanoparticles frequently exhibit heterogeneous, nanodomain-based internal architectures instead of homogeneous polymer cores, reflecting the competition between solvent exchange, chain mobility, and interfacial stabilization during assembly. Microfluidic approaches further demonstrate that solvent-mixing time and solvent identity decisively control particle size and dispersity, highlighting assembly history as a key design parameter.
From these nonequilibrium origins, polymer architecture translates into distinct internal organization and dynamics. Nanoparticles with comparable macroscopic characteristics can differ substantially in segmental mobility and internal packing, which critically affects their responsiveness and release behavior. Internal dynamics, rather than static morphology alone, govern the kinetics of structural rearrangements under external stimuli.
This dynamic perspective is particularly relevant for vesicular systems, where membrane physics dominates biological performance. Effective nanocarrier design requires balancing stability during circulation with selective membrane destabilization at the target site. Stimuli-responsive and multiresponsive architectures enable controlled permeability changes and conditional activation in complex biological environments.
Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (grant no. LM2023053).
Structural analyses (SAXS, TEM) show that polymeric nanoparticles frequently exhibit heterogeneous, nanodomain-based internal architectures instead of homogeneous polymer cores, reflecting the competition between solvent exchange, chain mobility, and interfacial stabilization during assembly. Microfluidic approaches further demonstrate that solvent-mixing time and solvent identity decisively control particle size and dispersity, highlighting assembly history as a key design parameter.
From these nonequilibrium origins, polymer architecture translates into distinct internal organization and dynamics. Nanoparticles with comparable macroscopic characteristics can differ substantially in segmental mobility and internal packing, which critically affects their responsiveness and release behavior. Internal dynamics, rather than static morphology alone, govern the kinetics of structural rearrangements under external stimuli.
This dynamic perspective is particularly relevant for vesicular systems, where membrane physics dominates biological performance. Effective nanocarrier design requires balancing stability during circulation with selective membrane destabilization at the target site. Stimuli-responsive and multiresponsive architectures enable controlled permeability changes and conditional activation in complex biological environments.
Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (grant no. LM2023053).
