Nanostructures Based on Lyotropic Mesophases

As with phase separation of block copolymers in bulk, the nature and size of the aggregates formed in a block-selective solvent depends on the relative sizes of the two blocks as well as the overall molecular weight of the diblock copolymer. In 

Fig 15 Generalized scheme for preparing core-crosslinked nd shell-crosslinked nanospheres using block copolymers. 

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The supramolecular assemblies that form the structural units of liquid crystalline phases lead to length scales of order in the nanometer range. Mesophases thus represent nanostructured materials already in the bulk state. Under certain circumstances, these materials can be dispersed into liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNP) which will be the focus of this chapter. Due to their specific properties, liquid crystalline phases offer interesting drug carrier properties which may be even more advantageous when used in the nanoparticulate dispersions. Hitherto, most investigations into this direction have been performed with lyotropic mesophases and this topic will be discussed in the first part of this chapter. In the second part, nanoparticulate carriers based on thermotropic mesophases will be introduced. 

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