A one-pot synthesis of polysulfane-bearing block copolymer nanoparticles with tunable size and refractive index

A one-pot synthesis of sulfur-rich polymer nanoparticles through a ring-opening metathesis polymerization is reported. The nanoparticles are formed in situ from diblock copolymers containing a polynorbornene derivative bearing cyclic polysulfanes. The refractive indices of the resulting nanoparticles are readily controlled in the range from 1.54 to nearly 1.65.