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Updated: Aug 18, 2026
Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Small amphiphilic organics, coordination extended solids, and constant curvature structures
Stephen Lee1, Abhijit Basu Mallik, Zhengtao Xu
1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Baker Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-1301, USA. sl137@cornell.edu
Abstract:
In this Account, we explore the role constant curvature structures play in amphiphilic small molecule crystals and extended coordination solids. A constant curvature structure is one in which there is a surface or interface that has the same curvature throughout its surface. Simple examples of such structures contain spheres (micelles), columns, or layers. Yet another family are cubic as is found in the gyroid topology. For amphiphilic systems, there are two domains, one generally hydrophobic and the other hydrophilic. We find that the interfaces between these two domains in small molecule structures resemble those in larger scale systems and adopt topologies related to constant curvature structures. The hydrophobic-to-total volume ratio, a molecular parameter, can be used to predict which type of constant curvature structure is adopted. In the case of three coordinate extended solids, constant curvature plays a role both in the extended net topology and in the hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic interface.
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