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Related Concept Videos

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:10

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

Chain-growth or addition polymerization is successive addition reactions of monomers with a polymer chain. In radical chain-growth polymerization, the reaction proceeds via a free-radical intermediate. The free radical is formed from radical initiators, which spontaneously generate free radicals by homolytic fission. Organic peroxides (such as dibenzoyl peroxide, as shown in Figure 1) or azo compounds are popular radical initiators. A low concentration ratio of radical initiator to monomer is...
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:09

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The radical chain-growth polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination of polymerization. The polymerization initiates when a free radical generated from the radical initiator adds to the unsaturated bond in the monomer. The unpaired electron of the free radical and one π electron in the unsaturated bond creates a σ bond between the free radical and the monomer. As a result, the other π electron in the unsaturated bond converts this species into the...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:04

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The mechanism for anionic chain-growth polymerization involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. In the initiation step, a nucleophilic anion, such as butyl lithium, initiates the polymerization process by attacking the π bond of the vinylic monomer. As a result, a carbanion, stabilized by the electron‐withdrawing group, is generated. The resulting carbanion acts as a Michael donor in the propagation step and attacks the second vinylic monomer, which acts as a Michael acceptor.
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the generated carbocation,...
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers01:08

Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers

Step growth polymerization involves bi or multifunctional monomers. Bifunctional monomers react to form linear step growth polymers, whereas multifunctional monomers react to form non-linear or branched 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...

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Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
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Light-regulated morphology control in supramolecular polymers.

Anurag Mukherjee1, Goutam Ghosh2

  • 1Organisch-Chemisches Institut, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Correnstrasse 36, 48149 Münster, Germany.

Nanoscale
|January 11, 2024
PubMed
Summary

This review explores how light controls supramolecular polymer morphology. It categorizes light-induced chemical transformations and links building block structure to material properties for advanced stimuli-responsive materials.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Nanotechnology
  • Biomedicine

Background:

  • Stimuli-responsive materials are gaining interest for their versatility in materials science and biology.
  • Precise control over supramolecular material creation and morphology is crucial for tailored properties and biomedical applications.
  • Light, as an external stimulus, offers a powerful tool for remote control over nanostructures and material functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and categorize recent advancements in using light irradiation to control supramolecular polymer morphology.
  • To establish correlations between building block structure, mesoscopic properties, and functional behavior of light-responsive supramolecular polymers.
  • To provide a comprehensive overview of light-induced chemical transformations (cis-trans isomerization, cycloaddition, photo-cleavage) in regulating supramolecular polymer nanostructures.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and collation of recent studies on light-regulated supramolecular polymers.
  • Categorization of light-induced chemical transformations affecting supramolecular polymer morphology.
  • Analysis of structure-property relationships in light-responsive supramolecular materials.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated examples of light irradiation effectively tuning the morphology and nanostructures of supramolecular polymers.
  • Categorization of key photo-responsive chemical motifs, including cis-trans isomerization, cycloaddition, and photo-cleavage.
  • Established a direct correlation between the molecular structure of building blocks and the macroscopic properties of the resulting supramolecular polymers.

Conclusions:

  • Light irradiation is a versatile tool for precise control over supramolecular polymer morphology and nanostructure.
  • Understanding the chemical transformations and structure-property relationships enables the design of advanced stimuli-responsive materials.
  • Future research directions focus on leveraging these principles for novel applications, particularly in biomedicine.