Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Grafting Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes with Polystyrene to Enable Self-Assembly and Anisotropic Patchiness
Published on: April 1, 2018
Supramolecular Graft Copolymerization of a Polyester by Guest-Selective Encapsulation of a Self-Assembled Capsule
Yuta Tsunoda1, Mei Takatsuka1, Ryo Sekiya1
1Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan.
Abstract:
Repeating guest units of polyesters poly-(R)-2 were selectively encapsulated by capsule 1(BF4 )4 to produce supramolecular graft polymers. The encapsulation of the guest units was confirmed by 1 H NMR spectroscopy. The graft polymer structures were confirmed by the increase in the hydrodynamic radii and the solution viscosities of the polyesters upon complexation of the capsule. After the capsule was formed, atomic force microscopy showed extension of the polyester chains. The introduction of the graft chains onto poly-(R)-2 resulted in the main chain of the polymer having an M-helical morphology. The complexation of copolymers poly-[(R)-2-co-(S)-2] by the capsule gave rise to the unique chiral amplification known as the majority-rules effect.
Related Concept Videos
Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the polymer...
Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP)

