phologies to selectively partition monomers into well-defined regions of controllable size and shape offers an attractive yet simple route to the generation of
nanostructured polymeric materials. The advantages are obvious, in that it utilizes
standard commercially available surfactants and monomers and, therefore, unlike
the approaches that use more complex polymerizable designer surfactants, these
are more readily accessible and scalable. However, while they present exciting
prospects, they raise several difficult problems too. The primary issues that remain to be addressed are: (i) detailed understanding of factors that govern destabilization of the aggregate structures in the presence of the monomers; (ii) discerning the factors that enable retention of the surfactant aggregate morphology
during the polymerization; and (iii) evolving strategies, based on selection of the
monomer (comonomer, if necessary), monomer concentration, polymerization
temperature etc., to enable retention of the aggregate morphology by design. Research in these directions should enable creative utilization of the rich morphological features of surfactant assemblies for generation of nanostructured polymeric systems with a wide range of structures and function.
15.9
Summary and Outlook
The confluence of innovative synthetic methodologies, sophisticated characterization techniques and potential technological utility has brought about the sudden
surge in research activity pertaining to nanostructural control in polymeric systems. In this chapter, I have tried to present various facets of nanostructural control in polymeric systems, beginning with control of polymer structure and conformation, and ending with polymerization within spatially restricted domains,
such as those formed by surfactant assemblies. In selecting such a broad canvas, I
have knowingly forsaken the ability to cover any of the subtopics in great detail. As
this book attempts to cover several wide-ranging topics, only one of which is dedicated to polymeric nanostructures, I have chosen to provide the reader with a flavor
of the various approaches that have been used to generate nanostructured polymeric systems. For exhaustive reviews concerning each of these sub-areas, interested readers may consult many recent in-depth reviews to which I have made
reference. I have also left out a few topics that, in principle, merit mention, such as
nanostructured polymeric materials as templates for the preparation of inorganic
materials, nanostructured inorganic solids as templates for polymerization, surface
patterning of polymeric materials using techniques such as soft-lithography etc.,
all of which could be brought under the larger umbrella of nanostructured polymers. While the emphasis of the chapter has been on various approaches to the
building of nanostructures, details of property evaluation, which in many cases is
still in its infancy, may have been a little underplayed.
Block copolymers are clearly going to be the materials for which an increasing
number of nanostructuring strategies will be developed. The tremendous advances
15.9 Summary and Outlook 513
nanostructured polymeric materials. The advantages are obvious, in that it utilizes
standard commercially available surfactants and monomers and, therefore, unlike
the approaches that use more complex polymerizable designer surfactants, these
are more readily accessible and scalable. However, while they present exciting
prospects, they raise several difficult problems too. The primary issues that remain to be addressed are: (i) detailed understanding of factors that govern destabilization of the aggregate structures in the presence of the monomers; (ii) discerning the factors that enable retention of the surfactant aggregate morphology
during the polymerization; and (iii) evolving strategies, based on selection of the
monomer (comonomer, if necessary), monomer concentration, polymerization
temperature etc., to enable retention of the aggregate morphology by design. Research in these directions should enable creative utilization of the rich morphological features of surfactant assemblies for generation of nanostructured polymeric systems with a wide range of structures and function.
15.9
Summary and Outlook
The confluence of innovative synthetic methodologies, sophisticated characterization techniques and potential technological utility has brought about the sudden
surge in research activity pertaining to nanostructural control in polymeric systems. In this chapter, I have tried to present various facets of nanostructural control in polymeric systems, beginning with control of polymer structure and conformation, and ending with polymerization within spatially restricted domains,
such as those formed by surfactant assemblies. In selecting such a broad canvas, I
have knowingly forsaken the ability to cover any of the subtopics in great detail. As
this book attempts to cover several wide-ranging topics, only one of which is dedicated to polymeric nanostructures, I have chosen to provide the reader with a flavor
of the various approaches that have been used to generate nanostructured polymeric systems. For exhaustive reviews concerning each of these sub-areas, interested readers may consult many recent in-depth reviews to which I have made
reference. I have also left out a few topics that, in principle, merit mention, such as
nanostructured polymeric materials as templates for the preparation of inorganic
materials, nanostructured inorganic solids as templates for polymerization, surface
patterning of polymeric materials using techniques such as soft-lithography etc.,
all of which could be brought under the larger umbrella of nanostructured polymers. While the emphasis of the chapter has been on various approaches to the
building of nanostructures, details of property evaluation, which in many cases is
still in its infancy, may have been a little underplayed.
Block copolymers are clearly going to be the materials for which an increasing
number of nanostructuring strategies will be developed. The tremendous advances
15.9 Summary and Outlook 513