Polymerizable Amphiphilic Block Copolymers: From Nanostructured Hydrogels to Nanoreactors and Ultrathin Films

Self-assembly of reactive amphiphilic block copolymers is used to prepare nanostructured hydrogels with exceptional permeability properties, vesicular structures and planar, freestanding membranes in aqueous solution. Although the underlying block copolymer membranes are two to three times thicker than conventional lipid bilayers they can be regarded as a mimetic of biological membranes and can be used as a matrix for membrane spanning proteins. Surprisingly the proteins remain functional despite the extreme thickness of the membranes and even after polymerization of the reactive block copolymers. The unique combination of block copolymers with membrane proteins allows the preparation of mechanically stable, defect-free membranes and nanocapsules that have highly selective permeability and/or specific recognition sites. This is documented by some representative examples.