Download or read book Block Copolymer Self assembly Fundamentals and Applications in Formulation of Nano structured Fluids written by Biswajit Sarkar and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dispersions of nanoparticles in polymer matrices form hybrid materials that can exhibit superior structural and functional properties and find applications in e. g. thermo-plastics, electronics, polymer electrolytes, catalysis, paint formulations, and drug delivery. Control over the particle location and orientation in the polymeric matrices are essential in order to realize the enhanced mechanical, electrical, and optical properties of the nanohybrids. Block copolymers, composed of two or more different monomers, are promising for controlling particle location and orientation because of their ability to organize into ordered nanostructures. Fundamental questions pertaining to nanoparticle-polymer interfacial interactions remain open and formulate the objectives of our investigation. Particle-polymer enthalpic and entropic interactions control the nanoparticle dispersion in polymer matrices. Synthetic chemical methods for modifying the particle surface in order to control polymer-particle interactions are involved and large scale production is not possible. In the current approach, a physical method is employed to control polymer-particle interactions. The use of commercially available solvents is found to be effective in modifying particle-polymer interfacial interactions. The approach is applicable to a wide range of particle-polymer systems and can thereby enable large scale processing of polymer nanohybrids. The systems of silica nanoparticles dispersed in long-range or short-range self-assembled structures of aqueous poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) block copolymers (Pluronics) is considered here. The effect of various parameters such as the presence of organic solvents, pH, and particle size on the block copolymer organization and the ensuing particle-polymer interactions are investigated. Favorable surface interactions between the deprotonated silica nanoparticle and PEO-rich domain facilitate particle incorporation in the cylindrical lyotropic mesophase formed by hydrated PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymer. The amount of nanoparticle dispersed is limited to 10 wt% due to restrictions posed by a combination of thermodynamics and geometry. Incorporation of deprotonated nanoparticles by replacing equal mass of water did not affect the lattice parameter of the hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystalline structures formed by hydrated PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymer. The incorporation of protonated NPs resulted in an increase in the lattice parameter due to stronger nanoparticle-polymer enthalpic interactions. Two dimensional swelling exponent (d ~ Φpolymer-0. 65) suggests that deprotonated nanoparticles are located inside the PEO-rich domains, away from PEO-PPO interfaces. The presence of organic solvents screen the effect of protonated NPs on the lattice parameter of the hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystalline structures formed by hydrated PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymer.

Download or read book Block Copolymers in Solution written by Ian W. Hamley and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2005-12-13 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique text discusses the solution self-assembly of block copolymers and covers all aspects from basic physical chemistry to applications in soft nanotechnology. Recent advances have enabled the preparation of new materials with novel self-assembling structures, functionality and responsiveness and there have also been concomitant advances in theory and modelling. The present text covers the principles of self-assembly in both dilute and concentrated solution, for example micellization and mesophase formation, etc., in chapters 2 and 3 respectively. Chapter 4 covers polyelectrolyte block copolymers - these materials are attracting significant attention from researchers and a solid basis for understanding their physical chemistry is emerging, and this is discussed. The next chapter discusses adsorption of block copolymers from solution at liquid and solid interfaces. The concluding chapter presents a discussion of selected applications, focussing on several important new concepts. The book is aimed at researchers in polymer science as well as industrial scientists involved in the polymer and coatings industries. It will also be of interest to scientists working in soft matter self-assembly and self-organizing polymers.

Download or read book Block Copolymers in Nanoscience written by Massimo Lazzari and published by Wiley-VCH. This book was released on 2007-06-27 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This first book to take a detailed look at one of the key focal points where nanotechnology and polymers meet provides both an introductory view for beginners as well as in-depth knowledge for specialists in the various research areas involved. It investigates all types of application for block copolymers: as tools for fabricating other nanomaterials, as structural components in hybrid materials and nanocomposites, and as functional materials. The multidisciplinary approach covers all stages from chemical synthesis and characterization, presenting applications from physics and chemistry to biology and medicine, such as micro- and nanolithography, membranes, optical labeling, drug delivery, as well as sensory and analytical uses.

Download or read book Directed Self assembly of Block Co polymers for Nano manufacturing written by Roel Gronheid and published by Woodhead Publishing. This book was released on 2015-07-17 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The directed self-assembly (DSA) method of patterning for microelectronics uses polymer phase-separation to generate features of less than 20nm, with the positions of self-assembling materials externally guided into the desired pattern. Directed self-assembly of Block Co-polymers for Nano-manufacturing reviews the design, production, applications and future developments needed to facilitate the widescale adoption of this promising technology. Beginning with a solid overview of the physics and chemistry of block copolymer (BCP) materials, Part 1 covers the synthesis of new materials and new processing methods for DSA. Part 2 then goes on to outline the key modelling and characterization principles of DSA, reviewing templates and patterning using topographical and chemically modified surfaces, line edge roughness and dimensional control, x-ray scattering for characterization, and nanoscale driven assembly. Finally, Part 3 discusses application areas and related issues for DSA in nano-manufacturing, including for basic logic circuit design, the inverse DSA problem, design decomposition and the modelling and analysis of large scale, template self-assembly manufacturing techniques. Authoritative outlining of theoretical principles and modeling techniques to give a thorough introdution to the topic Discusses a broad range of practical applications for directed self-assembly in nano-manufacturing Highlights the importance of this technology to both the present and future of nano-manufacturing by exploring its potential use in a range of fields

Download or read book Amphiphilic Block Copolymers written by P. Alexandridis and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2000-10-18 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is the belief of the editors of this book that the recognition of block copolymers as being amphiphilic molecules and sharing common features with other well-studied amphiphiles will prove beneficial to both the surfactant and the polymer communities. An aim of this book is to bridge the two communities and cross-fertilise the different fields. To this end, leading researchers in the field of amphiphilic block copolymer self-assembly, some having a background in surfactant chemistry, and others with polymer physics roots, have agreed to join forces and contribute to this book.The book consists of four entities. The first part discusses theoretical considerations behind the block copolymer self-assembly in solution and in the melt. The second part provides case studies of self-assembly in different classes of block copolymers (e.g., polyethers, polyelectrolytes) and in different environments (e.g., in water, in non-aqueous solvents, or in the absence of solvents). The third part presents experimental tools, ranging from static (e.g., small angle neutron scattering) to dynamic (e.g., rheology), which can prove valuable in the characterization of block copolymer self-assemblies. The fourth part offers a sampling of current applications of block copolymers in, e.g., formulations, pharmaceutics, and separations, applications which are based on the unique self-assembly properties of block copolymers.

Download or read book Nanostructured Polymer Blends written by Gity Mir Mohamad Sadeghi and published by Elsevier Inc. Chapters. This book was released on 2013-11-28 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Block copolymers (BCPs) consist of two or more chemically different polymers connected covalently, and are polymer alloys. Due to their thermodynamic incompatibility and chain connectivity, the phase separation between two (or more) blocks occurs only in a tens of nanometers range. Nanostructures are based on block copolymer self-assembly. They are functional nanomaterials less than 100nm in size and have received extensive scientific and technological attention due to their potential applications in electronic, biomedical, and optical materials. This chapter examines a variety of different synthetic strategies for preparation of linear diblock copolymers by anionic polymerization. Triblocks can be synthesized according to an appropriate synthetic pathway, depending on the monomers used and their sequence in the triblock chain. Nonlinear block copolymers including star block copolymers, graft copolymers, miktoarm star copolymers, cyclic block copolymers, and other complex architectures are explained. Microphase separation drives BCPs to self-assemble, resulting in ordered nanostructures, including spheres, cylinders, gyroids, and lamellae, depending on the composition of the BCP. In nanotechnology, self-assembly (SA) underlies various types of molecular structures built from nanoparticles, nanotubes, or nanorods. Supramolecular structures generated from amphiphilic block copolymers are characterized by a slow rate of intermicellar chain exchange which makes them interesting for a variety of applications. Basic principles of self-assembly and micellization of block copolymers in dilute solution, methods for stabilization of the macromolecular aggregates, are discussed. Stabilized nanoparticles, the so-called “smart materials,” which show responses to environmental changes (pH, temperature, ionic strength, etc.), are presented with a focus on their applications.

Download or read book Self Assembly written by Ramanathan Nagarajan and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2019-01-07 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An introduction to the state-of-the-art of the diverse self-assembly systems Self-Assembly: From Surfactants to Nanoparticles provides an effective entry for new researchers into this exciting field while also giving the state of the art assessment of the diverse self-assembling systems for those already engaged in this research. Over the last twenty years, self-assembly has emerged as a distinct science/technology field, going well beyond the classical surfactant and block copolymer molecules, and encompassing much larger and complex molecular, biomolecular and nanoparticle systems. Within its ten chapters, each contributed by pioneers of the respective research topics, the book: Discusses the fundamental physical chemical principles that govern the formation and properties of self-assembled systems Describes important experimental techniques to characterize the properties of self-assembled systems, particularly the nature of molecular organization and structure at the nano, meso or micro scales. Provides the first exhaustive accounting of self-assembly derived from various kinds of biomolecules including peptides, DNA and proteins. Outlines methods of synthesis and functionalization of self-assembled nanoparticles and the further self-assembly of the nanoparticles into one, two or three dimensional materials. Explores numerous potential applications of self-assembled structures including nanomedicine applications of drug delivery, imaging, molecular diagnostics and theranostics, and design of materials to specification such as smart responsive materials and self-healing materials. Highlights the unifying as well as contrasting features of self-assembly, as we move from surfactant molecules to nanoparticles. Written for students and academic and industrial scientists and engineers, by pioneers of the research field, Self-Assembly: From Surfactants to Nanoparticles is a comprehensive resource on diverse self-assembly systems, that is simultaneously introductory as well as the state of the art.

Download or read book Materials Nanoarchitectonics written by Katsuhiko Ariga and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2023-12-15 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Materials Nanoarchitectonics: From Integrated Molecular Systems to Advanced Devices provides the latest information on the design and molecular manipulation of self-organized hierarchically structured systems using tailor-made nanoscale materials as structural and functional units. The book is organized into three main sections that focus on molecular design of building blocks and hybrid materials, formation of nanostructures, and applications and devices. Bringing together emerging materials, synthetic aspects, nanostructure strategies, and applications, the book aims to support further progress, by offering different perspectives and a strong interdisciplinary approach to this rapidly growing area of innovation. This is an extremely valuable resource for researchers, advanced students, and scientists in industry, with an interest in nanoarchitectonics, nanostructures, and nanomaterials, or across the areas of nanotechnology, chemistry, surface science, polymer science, electrical engineering, physics, chemical engineering, and materials science. Offers a nanoarchitectonic perspective on emerging fields, such as metal-organic frameworks, porous polymer materials, or biomimetic nanostructures Discusses different approaches to utilizing "soft chemistry" as a source for hierarchically organized materials Offers an interdisciplinary approach to the design and construction of integrated chemical nano systems Discusses novel approaches towards the creation of complex multiscale architectures

Download or read book Toward Hierarchical Material Design Via Block Copolymers in a Protic Ionic Liquid written by Ru Xie and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 430 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ionic liquids and block copolymers are two representative classes of “designer compounds”, which are known for tunability and controllability of their physical and chemical properties via careful selection of their components. Hierarchically structured functional materials are synthesized by self-assembly of block copolymers in ionic liquids, where the block copolymer imparts mechanical strength to the material via self-assembly into long ranged ordered structure, and the ionic liquid imparts electrical conductivity to the system via concomitant free mobile ions. ☐ Understanding the structure-property relationship of complex fluids comprised of self-assembled block copolymer in ionic liquid paves the foundation for rational design and engineering of hierarchically structured functional materials and smart devices. Thus, the goals of this dissertation are threefold: firstly, to develop structure-property relationships for complex fluid model systems composed of self-assembled non-ionic block copolymers in a protic ionic liquid at rest and under ow deformations; secondly, to synthesize and characterize a novel hierarchically structured stretchable ion-conducting material system utilized the structure-property relationship; and lastly, with the fundamental understanding of the structure-property relevancy of the materials, to design and engineer commercializable device prototypes based on the insights extracted from customer discovery interviews. ☐ A non-ionic, spherical micellar ionic liquid complex fluid model system and a non-ionic polymerlike micellar ionic liquid complex fluid model system are explored in this dissertation using a combination of advanced rheological and neutron techniques. In the spherical micellar model systems, it was found that polymer blending is an effective route to create self-assembled complex fluid model systems with tunable microstructure and rheological properties. The study of the polymerlike micellar system reveals that non-ionic polymerlike micelles have di_erent rheological signatures than non-shear banded shear thinning surfactant wormlike micelle solutions. The structure-property relationships determined for the two model systems serve as a reference for formulating and processing non-ionic block copolymer/ionic liquid complex fluids to achieve specific structures that can be crosslinked to create new functional materials. ☐ A simplified two-step manufacturing process has been developed in this dissertation to create an ultra-stretchable conductive iono-elastomer, by self-assembly of concentrated solutions of end-functionalized block copolymers in a protic ionic liquid, followed by chemical crosslinking. The resultant iono-elastomers exhibits an unprecedented combination of high stretchability (3000% elongation and 200 MPa tensile strength at break) and mechano-electrical response. To our knowledge, the strechability is about 10 times higher than reported elastomers. Importantly, the resistance of the material decreases with extension, a unique and non-trivial material response, whose origin is postulated to be the microstructural rearrangement of the micelles. Furthermore, the incorporation of water in the ionic liquid precursor leads to estimated 8.5 times less stretchability, and strikingly, the resistance of iono-elastomer increases with increasing strain. The contrary mechano-electrical response was postulated to be due to different ion binding and transport mechanism in the presence of water. ☐ Based on the material property and customer discovery interviews, a potential application of the iono-elastomer is identified as a motion strain sensor. Significant efforts are made to develop three generations of large strain amplitude, stretchable resistive strain sensor patch prototypes. They should enable customers (e.g., athletes, patients undergoing physical therapy, physical trainers, biomechanicians, etc.) to accurately track motion and performance of specific joints and/or muscles on their smart phone, tablet or computer via Bluetooth wireless communication, with applications in motion capturing, sports performance tracking and rehabilitation monitoring. ☐ Together, advanced rheological and neutron techniques provide a platform for creating structure-property relationships that predict rheological and structural phenomena in soft materials. This research is part of a broader effort to design, synthesize and characterize novel self-assembled non-ionic polymers in ionic liquids by material scientists and engineers. Finally, this work spans interests in both fundamental investigations and technical applications of non-ionic block copolymer self-assembly in ionic liquids, suggesting that the wealth of possible chemistries and ability to create a plethora of hierarchically self-assembled microstructures should lead to many new discoveries.

Download or read book Molecular Self Assembly written by and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report is divided into two parts: a study of the glass transition in confined geometries, and formation mechanisms of block copolymer mesophases by solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly. The effect of geometrical confinement on the glass transition of polymers is a very important consideration for applications of polymers in nanotechnology applications. We hypothesize that the shift of the glass transition temperature of polymers in confined geometries can be attributed to the inhomogeneous density profile of the liquid. Accordingly, we assume that the glass temperature in the inhomogeneous state can be approximated by the Tg of a corresponding homogeneous, bulk polymer, but at a density equal to the average density of the inhomogeneous system. Simple models based on this hypothesis give results that are in remarkable agreement with experimental measurements of the glass transition of confined liquids. Evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) of block copolymers is a versatile process for producing novel, nanostructured materials and is the focus of much of the experimental work at Sandia in the Brinker group. In the EISA process, as the solvent preferentially evaporates from a cast film, two possible scenarios can occur: microphase separation or micellization of the block copolymers in solution. In the present investigation, we established the conditions that dictate which scenario takes place. Our approach makes use of scaling arguments to determine whether the overlap concentration c* occurs before or after the critical micelle concentration (CMC). These theoretical arguments are used to interpret recent experimental results of Yu and collaborators on EISA experiments on Silica/PS-PEO systems.

Download or read book Nanoparticle block Copolymer Self assembly written by Scott Charles Warren and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Block Copolymer Nanostructures Via Self assembly for Biomedical Applications written by Fabian Sobotta and published by . This book was released on 2022* with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Functional block copolymer nanostructures of defined morphologies were designed and the influence of their structural characteristics, such as shape and stability on the biomedical properties was investigated. Amphiphilic block copolymers were synthesized via sequential RAFT polymerization or polymer-polymer coupling of different polymers and subsequently self-assembled into nanostructures. Furthermore, simultaneous block copolymerization and self-assembly were performed using polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) technique. Control over the morphology formation was gained through careful tuning of the formulation conditions. Therefore, systematic correlations between the conditions and the evolution of higher-ordered morphologies based on kinetic effects were revealed. The opportunity to stabilize and selectively destabilize the particles via core-crosslinking and core-oxidation was introduced and their potential to prevent a premature immune response or induce a selective release of encapsulated cargo was demonstrated. In addition, it could be shown that the particle shape represents a crucial factor for the selective uptake of nanostructures in inflamed intestinal tissue. This thesis emphasizes the huge potential of kinetically controlled block copolymer self-assembly for the preparation of tailor-made nanomaterials, which may serve as next-generation therapeutics, as well as reveal general relationships between the particle structure and their biomedical properties.

Download or read book Points Lines and Walls written by Maurice Kléman and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 1983 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Nanostructured Polymer Membranes Volume 1 written by Visakh P. M. and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-11-11 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is intended to serve as a "one-stop" reference resource for important research accomplishments in the area of nanostructured polymer membranes and their processing and characterizations. It will be a very valuable reference source for university and college faculties, professionals, post-doctoral research fellows, senior graduate students, and researchers from R&D laboratories working in the area of polymer nanobased membranes. The various chapters are contributed by prominent researchers from industry, academia and government/private research laboratories across the globe and comprise an up-to-date record on the major findings and observations in the field.

Download or read book Directed Self Assembly of Nanostructured Block Copolymer Thin Films Via Dynamic Thermal Annealing written by Monali N. Basutkar and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The aggressive miniaturization of nanoelectronic devices poses a pressing challenge in using conventional patterning technologies that are fast approaching their intrinsic resolution limits. Molecular self-assembling block copolymers (BCPs) are promising candidates for integrating and extending the current photolithographic constraints, facilitating the fabrication of next-generation nanotemplating materials via directed self-assembly. The current work focuses on the development of viable dynamic self-assembly strategies for achieving highly ordered versatile BCP nanostructures with precise feature size control and registration, as well as provides insights into the fundamentals of BCP thin film self-assembly driven by dynamic annealing fields A continuous template-free method toward rapid fabrication (2-4 minutes) of highly ordered through-thickness vertical lamellar polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) l-PS-b-PMMA) microdomains in l-BCP films on quartz (silicon oxide) substrate was developed. A molecular relaxation induced vertical l-BCP ordering occurs under a transient macroscopic vertical strain field, imposed by a high film thermal expansion rate under sharp thermal gradient cold zone annealing (CZA-S). The high thermal gradient had to be selectively tuned with the CZA-S sweep rates for controlling the polymer chain relaxation dynamics for vertical order. Comparable conventional static thermal annealing of identical l-BCP films using vacuum oven failed to induce the desired nanostructure. Morphology evolution tracked in real time along the CZA-S thermal gradient profile using in situ grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) demonstrated four regimes of ordering: microphase separation from a quenched-disordered state (Regime 1), initial formation of vertical lamellae due to the sharp thermal gradient imposed on the l-BCP film (Regime 2), polygrain structure resulting from the broad [del] T region around Tmax (Regime 3), and an ultimate highly vertically ordered l-BCP morphology due to grain coarsening on the cooling edge (Regime 4). A detailed examination of the influence of CZA process parameters such as temperature gradient field strength ([del] T) of the thermal annealing profile, sweep velocity (v) and the corresponding annealing time (t) on the mechanism and dynamics of l-BCP ordering was performed. The complex interplay between thermodynamic equilibrium, surface and interfacial energies, confinement effects and BCP ordering kinetics was also investigated to determine the effect of BCP film attributes on morphological development. By tuning the CZA-S process dynamics with the l-BCP relaxation timescales, this process created vertical l-BCP nanodomains with controlled feature sizes via molecular weight control. Besides regulating the out-of-plane nanostructure orientation, the alignment of BCP microdomains in-plane was locally tuned by biasing the BCP assembly energetics using an edge-templating strategy. The relaxation of residual stresses and minimization of chain distortion energy penalties along the film boundary were the factors governing the edge-templating mechanism that spontaneously aligns the BCP microdomains orthogonal to the film-discontinuity. Both, kinetic and thermodynamic factors were associated with the boundary-propagation effect. This research demonstrates a new paradigm for advancement of BCP nanotemplating and nanolithography applications due to its potential to fabricate user-defined hierarchical micro-nanopatterns.

Download or read book Self assembly of Block Copolymers for Nanopatterning written by Nathanael Lap-Yan Wu and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The impressive developments in the semiconductor industry over the past five decades have largely been dependent on the ability to continually reduce the dimensions of devices on a chip. However, as critical dimension requirements for these devices approach the limits of photolithography, new fabrication strategies must be introduced for these remarkable advances to continue. One technology listed by the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors as a candidate for next-generation nanostructure fabrication is the directed self-assembly of block copolymers. Block copolymers have received significant attention of late for their ability to template large regular arrays of nanostructures with dimensions ranging from 10 to 50 nm. The production of denser sub-10 nm nanostructures is also possible by reducing the size of these polymers, but a reduction of the polymer size also compromises the quality of nanostructures, making small polymers extremely difficult to use. In this thesis, two different patterning approaches are introduced to push the nanostructure density limits possible for a given polymer. In the first, a novel patterning approach involving thin films of bilayer block copolymer domains is used to effectively double the nanostructure density patterned by a given polymer. The technique is successfully applied to different types and sizes of polymer, and can also form highly controlled arrays of patterns with the help of surface topography. By varying different process parameters during the self-assembly or subsequent plasma steps, the dimensions of these density-doubled patterns may be finely-tuned to the desired width and pitch. The surface coverage of these density-doubled nanostructures is also maximized through adjusting the film thickness and parameters in the self-assembly process. Besides using bilayer films, dense arrays of nanostructures may also be patterned using a multi-step patterning approach. In this approach, multiple layers of block copolymer films are subsequently deposited onto the substrate to template nanostructures. Because nanostructures from previous layers contribute to the surface topography, they influence the self-assembly of successive layers and more dense and complex patterns may be produced as a result.

Download or read book Soft Matter And Biomaterials On The Nanoscale The Wspc Reference On Functional Nanomaterials Part I In 4 Volumes written by and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2020-06-24 with total page 1885 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is indexed in Chemical Abstracts ServiceSoft and bio-nanomaterials offer a tremendously rich behavior due to the diversity and tailorability of their structures. Built from polymers, nanoparticles, small and large molecules, peptoids and other nanoscale building blocks, such materials exhibit exciting functions, either intrinsically or through the engineering of their organization and combination of blocks. Thus, it is not surprising that a variety of challenges, for example, in energy storage, environment protection, advanced manufacturing, purification and healthcare, can be addressed using these materials. The recent advances in understanding the behavior of soft matter and biomaterials are being actively translated into functional materials systems and devices, which take advantages of newly discovered and specifically created morphologies with desired properties. This major reference work presents a detailed overview of recent research developments on fundamental and application-inspired aspects of soft and bio-nanomaterials and their emerging functions, and will be divided into four volumes: Vol 1: Soft Matter under Geometrical Confinement: From Fundamentals at Planar Surfaces and Interfaces to Functionalities of Nanoporous Materials; Vol 2: Polymers on the Nanoscale: Nano-structured Polymers and Their Applications; Vol 3: Bio-Inspired Nanomaterials: Nanomaterials Built from Biomolecules and Using Bio-derived Principles; Vol 4: Nanomedicine: Nanoscale Materials in Nano/Bio Medicine.