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A Two-Dimensional Polymer Synthesized at the Air/Water Interface.
Vivian Müller1, Antoine Hinaut2, Mina Moradi3,4
1Department of Materials, Polymer Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|June 12, 2018
Summary
Researchers synthesized a novel two-dimensional (2D) polymer using a fluorinated triptycene monomer at an air/water interface. This advanced material exhibits long-range order and monodisperse pores, confirmed by advanced microscopy techniques.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Two-dimensional (2D) polymers are advanced materials with unique properties derived from their atomic-scale thickness.
- Synthesizing ordered 2D polymers under ambient conditions remains a significant challenge in materials science.
- Triptycene-based monomers offer potential for creating well-defined polymer architectures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize a long-range-ordered 2D polymer from a novel trifunctional, partially fluorinated anthracene-substituted triptycene monomer.
- To characterize the structural properties and confirm the 2D polymer formation under ambient conditions.
- To investigate the potential of air/water interface polymerization for creating ordered nanostructures.
Main Methods:
- Spreading of the triptycene monomer as a monolayer at the air/water interface.
- UV irradiation to induce polymerization and form the 2D polymer network.
- Analysis using Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM).
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of a long-range-ordered 2D polymer network.
- Structural analysis confirmed lattice parameters consistent with a model derived from X-ray diffractometry.
- nc-AFM images revealed long-range order over areas exceeding 300×300 nm², with monodisperse pore sizes.
Conclusions:
- A novel 2D polymer has been successfully synthesized under ambient conditions at an air/water interface.
- The study provides definitive structural evidence for the formation of a 2D polymer network.
- Air/water interface polymerization is a viable method for creating ordered, nanostructured 2D polymers.
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