Mentor: Dominik Konkolewicz, Ph.D.

This study explores the synthesis and light-triggered transformation of polymer nanoparticles created via Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly (PISA). By incorporating phenyl vinyl ketone (PVK) as a photo-responsive block, we successfully generated three distinct morphologies: spheres, worms, and vesicles. Upon UV irradiation, spheres and vesicles surprisingly retained their initial shapes despite significant polymer degradation. In contrast, worm nanoparticles exhibited a rapid morphology reversal into spheres within just two minutes. Furthermore, these PVK nanoparticles demonstrated the ability to encapsulate molecules and release them upon light-induced degradation, highlighting their potential for controlled-release applications.

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