The present invention demonstrates that incorporation of amphiphilic functionalities within the same monomer unit affords assemblies that are micelle-like or inverse micelle-like in solutions. The amphiphilic polymers exhibit very low critical micelle concentration (CMC), the assembly adapts itself to its environment (micelle-like in water, inverted micelle-like in apolar solvents), multiple functionalities could be directed in the interior of these nanoscale assemblies, and the invention offers the ability to compact incompatible functionalities by creating amphiphilicity using a third functionality.