Molecular bases for temperature sensitivity in supramolecular assemblies and their applications as thermoresponsive
Hongxu Liu1, Theeraphop Prachyathipsakul1, Thameez M Koyasseril-Yehiya1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA. thai@umass.edu.
Abstract:
Thermoresponsive supramolecular assemblies have been extensively explored in diverse formats, from injectable hydrogels to nanoscale carriers, for a variety of applications including drug delivery, tissue engineering and thermo-controlled catalysis. Understanding the molecular bases behind thermal sensitivity of materials is fundamentally important for the rational design of assemblies with optimal combination of properties and predictable tunability for specific applications. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in this area with a specific focus on the parameters and factors that influence thermoresponsive properties of soft materials. We summarize and analyze the effects of structures and architectures of molecules, hydrophilic and lipophilic balance, concentration, components and external additives upon the thermoresponsiveness of the corresponding molecular assemblies.
Related Concept Videos
Thermosensation
Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Temperature
Diversity of Archaea IV
Molecular and Ionic Solids
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding
The...
Thermal Sigmatropic Reactions: Overview
Sigmatropic shifts are classified based on an order term [i, j ], where i and j indicate the number of atoms across which each end of the σ bond migrates. Below are examples of a [3,3] sigmatropic shift in...


