Accurate control of the shape transformation of polymersome is an important and interesting challenge that spans across disciplines such as nanomedicine and nanomachine. Here, we report a fast and facile methodology of shape manipulation of polymersome via out-of-equilibrium polymer self-assembly and shape change by chemical addition of additives. Due to its increased permeability, hydrophilicity, and fusogenic properties, poly(ethylene oxide) was selected as the additive for bringing the system out of equilibrium via fast addition into the polymersome organic solution. A new shape, stomatocyte-in-stomatocyte (sto-in-sto), is obtained for the first time. Moreover, fast shape transformation within less than 1 min to other relevant shapes such as stomatocyte and large compound vesicles was also obtained and accurately controlled in a uniform dispersion. This methodology is demonstrated as a general strategy with which to push the assembly further out of equilibrium to generate unusual nanostructures in a controllable and fast manner.
Keywords: Out-of-equilibrium; polymersome; self-assembly; shape transformation; stomatocyte; stomatocyte-in-stomatocyte.