Visible Light-Mediated Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly Using Continuous Flow Reactors

We present the synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles of targeted morphology in a continuous process via visible light-mediated aqueous RAFT polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA). A trithiocarbonate-derived poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) macroRAFT was activated in the presence of hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) at 37 °C under blue light irradiation (460 nm), leading to the formation of PEG-b-P(HPMA) nanoparticles. The method is attractive in its simplicity - spheres, worms, and vesicles can easily be obtained in a continuous fashion with higher control in comparison to conventional batch procedures. This allows for more accurate production of particle morphologies and scalable synthesis of these nano-objects. The versatility of this process was demonstrated by the in situ encapsulation of an active compound.