# Precise Epitaxial 1D and 2D Growth of Polyester‐Based Materials in n‐Alkanes

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to create oil-soluble 1D and 2D polyester-based nanoparticles using self-assembly in n-octane, which could be useful in electronics and engine oils.

## Contribution

The study presents a new approach for synthesizing low-dispersion oil-soluble polyester-based nanoparticles with controlled morphology.

## Key findings

- Polyester-based block copolymers self-assembled in n-octane to form monodisperse 1D and 2D nanoparticles.
- Tunable polymer conditions allowed control over nanoparticle size and morphology.
- The method offers potential for applications in electronics and lubricants.

## Abstract

Crystallization‐driven self‐assembly (CDSA) has been extensively studied for the formation of bespoke nanoparticles and provides a unique way to control the unidirectional growth of block copolymers (BCPs). Currently, oil‐soluble nanoparticles represent an under‐researched area in the literature, stemming from the difficulty in synthesizing organic nanoparticles with higher‐order morphologies using traditional techniques. These oil‐soluble nanoparticles have uses as components in products as diverse as electronics and engine oils, with current research determining a strong relationship between morphology and performance, with anisotropic nanoparticles outperforming spherical counterparts. Here, we report on the facile self‐assembly of polyester‐based BCPs in n‐octane to achieve low‐dispersity 1D and 2D nanoparticles. This report focuses on using tunable, oil‐soluble polymers and aims to understand their self‐assembly in n‐octane through the variation of self‐assembly conditions and unimer solubility to form nanoparticles of a controlled and variable size.

Living crystallization‐driven self‐assembly is a facile technique for the synthesis of low‐length dispersity 1D and 2D nanoparticles. Oil‐based systems have applications in electronics and as friction modifiers and are underreported in literature. In this work, we synthesize tunable block copolymers with a poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) core‐forming block and poly(n‐methacrylate) corona block. We report on their self‐assembly in n‐octane for the synthesis of monodisperse nanoparticles of a controlled length and morphology.