ABSTRACT
Block copolymers are macromolecules composed of chemically distinct blocks that are covalently linked together. Molecular architectures that can be produced using the simplest combination of two types of monomers (A and B) include diblock (A-B) and triblock (A-B-A) copolymers. The viscoelastic surfactant phase usually contains long flexible entangled cylindrical aggregates often referred to as wormlike, threadlike, rodlike, or giant micelles. Speculation regarding wormlike micelles in surfactant solutions dates as far back as the early 1950s. A wormlike micelle morphology also has been associated with block copoly-mers in nonaqueous solvents. The chapter summarizes examples of proofs of concepts for new applications of block copolymer-based wormlike micelles. Amphiphilic self-assembly results in a variety of nanostructures in surfactant solutions: micelles and vesicles at low concentrations, and various liquid-crystalline morphologies in the high-concentration regime. Analogous considerations have been advanced to analyze the micellar aggregation behavior of non-charged block copolymers in selective solvents.
