Templating Vesicles, Microemulsions, and Lyotropic Mesophases by Organic Polymerization Processes

Abstract

The self-organized templates that form in surfactant solutions can direct the synthesis of organic polymers. Several examples of such syntheses are reviewed here, beginning with discussion of the use of surfactant vesicles to guide the formation of spherical polymer shells. This process can produce a variety of morphologies including, under certain conditions, the desired shells. Microemulsions, defined as equilibrium microstructured fluids containing oil, water, and surfactant, can be used to produce latex dispersions of high molecular weight polymers having a relatively narrow size distribution. The experimental and theoretical aspects of this process are now fairly well understood and are summarized. Finally, recent efforts to use lyotropic phases to template polymers are reviewed. For each of these morphologies, the final product materials reflect a delicate balance between phase behavior and the reaction and mass transfer parameters controlling structure formation during template synthesis.