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Updated: Dec 11, 2025

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Rational Design and Bulk Synthesis of Water-Containing Supramolecular Polymers
Tao Li1, Qiao Zhang1, Doudou Li1
1College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, P. R. China.
Abstract:
The utilization of structural water in chemical self-assembly has not only effectively eliminated the negative influences of solvents from solutions or gels but has also provided new insight into the fabrication of new materials in bulk. However, up to now, supramolecular polymerization triggered by structural water has been dominated more by serendipity than rational design. After carefully analyzing the chemical structures of artificial monomers and gaining a deep understanding of the water-triggered assembly process, we report herein the bulk formation of polymeric materials from water and low-molecular weight monomers by rational design instead of serendipity.
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