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Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Chelation-Induced Polymer Structural Hierarchy/Complexity in Water
Jie Han1, Kaiyi Zhou1, Xuechao Zhu1
1Suzhou Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Design and Precision Synthesis, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
Abstract:
Understanding nanoscale structural hierarchy/complexity of hydrophilic flexible polymers is imperative because it can be viewed as an analogue to protein-alike superstructures. However, current understanding is still in infancy. Herein the first demonstration of nanoscale structural hierarchy/complexity via copper chelation-induced self-assembly (CCISA) is presented. Hierarchically-ordered colloidal networks and disks can be achieved by deliberate control of spacer length and solution pH. Dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy demonstrate that CCISA underwent supramolecular-to-supracolloidal stepwise-growth mechanism, and underline amazing prospects to the hierarchically-ordered superstructures of hydrophilic flexible polymers in water.
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