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Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
Published on: February 7, 2017
Self-assembled calixarene derivative as a supramolecular polymer
Valentina Villari1, Giuseppe Gattuso, Anna Notti
1CNR-IPCF Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 37, 98158 Messina, Italy. villari@me.cnr.it
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
|April 18, 2012
Summary
HCl-promoted self-assembly of amino-calix[5]arene monomers yields supramolecular polymers with consistent mass. These polymers form random coils and interact via adhesive forces, alongside concentration-dependent polymer clusters.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
Background:
- Calixarenes are versatile macrocyclic hosts with tunable properties.
- Self-assembly is a key process for constructing complex supramolecular structures.
- Understanding monomer concentration effects is crucial for controlling polymer formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the HCl-promoted self-assembly of amino-calix[5]arene monomers.
- To characterize the resulting supramolecular polymers and their properties.
- To determine the influence of monomer concentration on polymer and cluster formation.
Main Methods:
- Light scattering techniques were employed to study the self-assembly process.
- Analysis of average mass and conformation of the self-assembled structures.
- Investigation of inter-component interactions using theoretical models (adhesive hard sphere pair potential).
Main Results:
- Efficient formation of supramolecular polymers from amino-calix[5]arene monomers (UC5-NH(2)).
- Polymers exhibit a concentration-independent average mass and adopt a random-coil conformation.
- Formation of coexisting polymer clusters, whose size is dependent on monomer concentration.
- Adhesive interpolymer interactions drive both polymer and cluster formation.
Conclusions:
- HCl-promoted self-assembly provides a robust route to supramolecular polymers.
- The adhesive hard sphere model effectively describes inter-chain interactions.
- Monomer concentration plays a critical role in distinguishing polymer behavior from cluster formation.
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