Crystalsomes via confined polymer crystallization in nanoemulsions

Polymer crystalsomes refer to a class of crystallization-driven, hollow nanoparticles in which the particle shells are formed by polymer single crystals. They can be fabricated by controlled solution crystallization in nanoemulsions, where the curved liquid/liquid interface guides crystal growth. This article will summarize the recent progress of crystalsome research, including their fabrication process and formation mechanism. Curvature-dependent thermal and structural properties will be discussed. Homopolymer-, block copolymer-, and nanoparticle crystalsomes will be presented. Crystalsomes formed by spontaneous symmetry breaking using molecular bottlebrushes or nanoparticle-polymer co-crystallization will also be compared with those grown using nanoemulsions. Recent progress in this field shows that crystalsomes are a unique type of polymer nanoparticles and are promising for a variety of applications, including drug delivery, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and nanocomposites.