Figure 1.

(A) RAFT synthesis of poly(lauryl methacrylate) (PLMA) macro-CTA via RAFT solution polymerization in toluene at 70 °C, followed by RAFT dispersion polymerization of benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) in n-dodecane at 70 °C. (B) Schematic representation of the change in morphology that occurs on increasing the PBzMA target degree of polymerization when using a relatively short PLMA macro-CTA. (C) Thermo-responsive solution behavior exhibited by 20% w/w PLMA₁₆–PBzMA₃₇ diblock copolymer nanoparticles in n-dodecane. A free-standing gel is formed at 20 °C, which becomes a free-flowing solution when heated to 70 °C (see main text for an explanation of this phase transition).