Living Crystallization-driven Self-assembly

Crystallization has emerged as a powerful tool for directing the self-assembly of polymeric and molecular amphiphiles into non-spherical nanoparticles. Among these, living crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) has been established as a versatile method for producing high-uniformity core–shell fiber-like and platelet micelles at ambient temperature. This intriguing seeded growth technique offers exceptional control over particle size, while also enabling the creation of complex branched and segmented architectures with spatially defined functionalities. With its remarkable precision, structural diversity, and scalability, living CDSA stands as a promising platform for the design of advanced nanomaterials across a wide range of applications. In this chapter, we review the development of living CDSA and its general preparation methods, survey the principles of size and morphology control, discuss the construction of complex hierarchical structures, and explore emerging technologies that extend the practicality of living CDSA.