Recent advances in the self-assembly of sparsely grafted amphiphilic copolymers in aqueous solution

The self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers is acknowledged as a powerful tool for the fabrication of nanoparticles with a wide variety of nanostructures in aqueous solutions. In the self-assembly of amphiphilic copolymers, polymer architecture affects self-assembly behaviour. Accordingly, amphiphilic graft copolymers exhibit unique self-assembly behaviour and can form nanostructures that do not form in the self-assembly of block polymers. However, despite this unique behaviour, the self-assembly of amphiphilic graft copolymers remains relatively unexplored. In this review, we present recent research findings in the self-assembly of sparsely grafted amphiphilic copolymers, focusing on the effects of structural factors (e.g., the degree of polymerization, persistence length, and topology) and solvent. We also discuss the synthesis and potential applications of graft copolymers and their assemblies in some detail.