POS4-0253
Blending-Assisted Formation of PLA-b-PS Polymer Cubosomes through Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation Interface Stabilization
Topic
S4. Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
Jinyeong Oh (KAIST)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Polymer cubosomes with bicontinuous cubic structures are attractive nanostructured materials owing to their ordered three-dimensional channels, high specific surface areas, and high loading capacity. However, their formation through block copolymer self-assembly remains challenging, as the accessible morphology window is narrow and the assembly pathway is highly susceptible to kinetic trapping. Here, we present a blending-assisted approach to polymer cubosomes and hexosomes from poly(lactic acid)-block-polystyrene (PLA-b-PS) in acetonitrile. In this system, a low-PLA-fraction PLA-b-PS is used as the mesophase-forming polymer, while a PLA-rich PLA-b-PS is blended to stabilize the interface of polymer-rich droplets generated by liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) during solvent exchange. This interfacial stabilization facilitates membrane reorganization within the droplets and allows well-defined Im3m, Pn3m, and P6mm mesophases to develop. Through the precise control of polymer fractionation, blending composition, initial concentration, and nonsolvent addition, the morphology window for polymer cubosome formation was expanded. These results suggest that blending compositionally distinct block copolymers can regulate LLPS-mediated self-assembly and provide access to ordered inverted polymer mesophases.
