Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 22, 2025

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Tunable Supramolecular Hexagonal Columnar Structures of Hydrogen-Bonded Copolymers Containing Two Different Sized
Yongchen Cai1, Meiqing Zheng1, Yalan Zhu1
1Suzhou Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Design and Precision Synthesis, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Polymer structures with tunable symmetry and sizes are desired for applications such as lithography, filtration membranes, and separation. Here we report the self-assembled supramolecular hexagonal columnar (ΦH) structures with tunable lattice size varying from 5 to 7 nm by constructing hydrogen-bonded copolymers bearing poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) and two dendritic molecular additives, 1-[4'-(3″,4″,5″-tridecyloxybenzoyloxy)phenyleneoxycarbonyl]-3-[(4″-hydroxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]benzene (12CBP) and 4-hydroxyphenyl (3,4,5-tridecyloxy)benzoate (12CTB). Despite the distinct molecular size difference between 12CBP and 12CTB, the resulting ternary supramolecular copolymers, P4VP(12CBP)(12CTB), possess a homogeneous ΦH phase at x ≥ 0.1 and y ≥ 0.2. Each column is constructed with P4VP as the backbone tethered with mixed side chains. The column diameter is between the size of the corresponding P4VP(12CBP) and P4VP(12CTB) and could be easily tuned by varying x and y. The enhancement of ΦH in supramolecular copolymers is attributed to the entropy effect of the mixed side chain and enthalpy effect from hydrogen bonding interaction of the P4VP backbone and two molecules (12CBP and 12CTB).
More Related Videos
09:22Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
Published on: February 7, 2017
06:35Construction and Systematical Symmetric Studies of a Series of Supramolecular Clusters with Binary or Ternary Ammonium Triphenylacetates
Published on: February 15, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching
Polymer Classification: Architecture
Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers
As the step-growth polymerization involves step-wise condensation of monomers, the molecular weight also builds up eventually. Consequently, high molecular weight polymers are obtained at the late stages of the polymerization, where 99% of monomers have been consumed.
The extent of the...
Characteristics and Nomenclature of Homopolymers
Conformations of Cyclohexane
The chair form is the most stable and derives its name from its resemblance to the “easy chair.” In the chair conformation, two carbon atoms are arranged out-of-plane — one above and one below, minimizing the torsional strain. In the chair form, the bond angle is very close to the ideal...