Tuning the size of supramolecular single‐chain polymer nanoparticles

In this article we further investigate our recently devised method for folding polymer chains into nanoparticles using intramolecular, supramolecular interactions. Specifically, we show a direct relationship between molecular weight of the parent chain and size of the folded nanoparticle. This is investigated both analytically via the separation and subsequent characterization of a polydisperse nanoparticle sample into high and low molecular weight fractions, and by examining a family of poly(norbornenes) deliberately prepared with varying molecular weights. With these polymer nanoparticles in hand their assembly on surfaces is studied where larger structures are formed as a result of the interplay between the movement of the nanoparticles on the surface and the evaporation of solvent. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010