Bilayer membranes self-assembled from simple amphiphiles in solution always have a planar ground-state shape. This is a consequence of several internal relaxation mechanisms of the membrane and prevents the straightforward control of vesicle size. Here, we show that this principle can be circumvented and that direct size control by molecular design is a realistic possibility. Using coarse-grained calculations, we design tetrablock copolymers that form membranes with a preferred curvature and demonstrate how to form low-polydispersity vesicles while suppressing micellization.

• Received 29 June 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.088301