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Chemically Fueled Interfacial Supramolecular Polymerization
Zhiqin Xia1, Preetika Rastogi1, Xuefei Wu1
1Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
ACS Nano
|July 1, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed chemically fueled supramolecular polymers at liquid-liquid interfaces. This breakthrough enables adaptive, out-of-equilibrium soft materials with tunable lifetimes and stimuli-responsive depolymerization.
Area of Science:
- Soft Matter Physics
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Dissipative self-assembly systems mimic biological adaptability but lack spatial control.
- Controlling dynamic self-assembly at interfaces is crucial for advanced materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate spatial control over dissipative self-assembly at liquid-liquid interfaces.
- To engineer chemically fueled supramolecular polymers with tunable properties.
Main Methods:
- Coupling a chemical reaction network with host-guest and metal-ligand based self-assembly.
- Utilizing liquid-liquid interfaces for polymer confinement and control.
Main Results:
- Generated supramolecular polymers at interfaces with tunable lifetimes.
- Achieved controlled depolymerization triggered by redox cues or competitive guests.
- Demonstrated polymer jamming at the interface for creating programmable, stimuli-responsive liquid constructs.
Conclusions:
- Liquid-liquid interfaces offer a versatile platform for controlling dissipative self-assembly.
- The developed polymers represent a novel class of adaptive, out-of-equilibrium soft materials.
- This approach enables the design of time-programmable and multistimuli-responsive materials.
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