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Hierarchical Nanowires Synthesized by Supramolecular Stepwise Polymerization
Zeliang Zhuang1, Tao Jiang1, Jiaping Lin2
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|September 9, 2016
Summary
Researchers developed a stepwise method using self-assembled polypeptide micelles to create hierarchical nanowires. This novel polymerization technique precisely controls nanostructure fabrication for advanced materials.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Self-organization of pre-assembled aggregates enables stepwise fabrication of hierarchical nanostructures.
- Anisotropic micelles are promising building blocks for complex nanomaterials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a novel method for constructing one-dimensional (1D) materials with hierarchical structures.
- To utilize anisotropic spindle-like micelles as subunits for stepwise self-assembly.
Main Methods:
- Self-assembly of polypeptide graft copolymers into anisotropic spindle-like micelles.
- Generation of reactive end-points on micelles via solvent treatment and dialysis.
- Stepwise growth and self-assembly of micelles into hierarchical nanowires, mimicking step polymerization.
Main Results:
- Successfully fabricated hierarchical nanowires through a two-step self-assembly process.
- Demonstrated that the process resembles step polymerization, allowing precise synthesis.
- Showed that nanostructure characteristics are tunable via reactive point activity, solvent, and molecular architecture.
Conclusions:
- Anisotropic spindle-like micelles can serve as ideal subunits for hierarchical nanowire construction.
- A new type of polymerization enables precise synthesis of hierarchical nanostructures.
- The developed method offers tailored control over nanostructure formation.
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