Tandem Self-Assembly of Block Copolymer: From Vesicles to Stacked Bowls

We report a three-step tandem polymer self-assembly, from PS-b-P4VP macromolecules to vesicles, from vesicles to chains, and from chains to stacked bowls. Once aggregated, the soft vesicles and the hydrogen-bonded interface favor the gradual increase of the contact area, thus promoting concerted optimization toward stacked bowls. The continual structural modification opens a new route for exploring sophisticated synthetic control and complex shapes.