基于横向分子间氢键的棒-线型分子自组装研究进展

棒-线(Rod-Coil)型分子的合成及其自组装行为研究是当前超分子材料研究领域的重要研究方向. 与传统的柔性(Coil-Coil)型嵌段聚合物和Rod-Coil型嵌段聚合物相比, Rod-Coil型分子表现出不同的相行为、自组织特性和微结构, 可以自组装形成多种纳米结构. 研究结果显示, 横向分子间氢键是Rod-Coil型分子自组装形成液晶相和(或)有机凝胶等自组装体的主要驱动力. 主要介绍目前文献报道的横向分子间氢键驱动下的Rod-Coil型分子自组装.     

氢键识别超分子聚合物的新进展

近年来,由于氢键作用对聚合物的热力学性质、微观自组装、结晶及液晶行为的重要影响,氢键识别在超分子聚合物的分子设计与结构控制方面的应用受到广泛关注。本文系统介绍了氢键识别体系的类型与性质,以及分子结构、分子内氢键对氢键识别强度的影响,讨论了羧酸与吡啶间氢键识别体系、与核苷相关的氢键识别体系以及四重氢键识别体系在超分子聚合物中的最新应用,主要介绍了氢键识别超分子聚合物的合成、结构、性质及功能。     

含甲氧基偶氮苯液晶基元超分子的相行为研究

氢键是分子聚集和识别过程中的重要相互作用,利用分子间氢键,可设计并制备各种超分子体系材料,1989年,Kato等报道了吡啶基和羧酸基通过分子间氢键相互作用形成扩展液晶基元,得到了液晶稳定性增强的超分子液晶复合体系及侧链超分子液晶聚合物;同时,Lehn等报道了带脲嘧啶基和2,6-二酰胺吡啶基两种互补官能团的分子通过三重氢键缔合形成的主链超分子液晶。从此,迅速而广泛的开展利用氢键组装的超分子液晶体系的研究,并已组装合成出低分子型、     

多重氢键超分子聚合物

超分子聚合物是通过单体单元间的可逆非共价作用(包括氢键、π-π相互作用和金属配位作用等)形成的,由于非共价键的方向性和强度,这类聚合物显示了许多有趣的功能,例如刺激响应性和纳米结构自组装.本文总结了近三年来多重氢键超分子聚合物在改善聚合物性能、形成复杂分子构造、自组装纳米结构等方面的作用,并对超分子聚合物的应用进行了展...     

氢键诱导侧链液晶高分子的分子理论

将自组装概念引入Flory-Huggins格子理论,导出定向混合的氢键诱导侧链液晶高分子体系在各向同性相的混合自由能和各组分的化学势;由Maier-Saupe平均场理论给出在向列相的混合自由能和各组分的化学势,建立了氢键诱导侧链液晶高分子的分子理论模型.计算结果表明,由于氢键的方向性和饱和性决定自组装体中主客体的容纳能力,在相图上出现一个峰值;提高氢键相互作用参数和增加羧基含量,不仅自组装体的热稳定性增加,而且峰值向小分子含量低的方向移动;聚合物分子量对自组装体的热稳定性影响存在一个临界值,超过临界值后,热稳定性与分子量无关.     

组装合成超分子液晶聚合物动态功能材料

从电荷转移相互作用。离子相互作用及氢键组装三个方面综述了通过分子自组装合成超分子液晶聚合物近年来的最新研究成果。总结 阴谋家类体系作为动态功能材料在器件化及应用方面所取得的重要进展，并展望了这一领域今后的发展方向。     

从超分子聚合物到超分子有机框架:组装溶液相超分子结构的周期性

单体分子在溶液相自发形成周期性的网络结构,是超分子化学和分子自组装研究领域的重大挑战.多头基分子在溶液相通过分子间非共价键作用可以形成超分子聚合物.提高多头基(三头基和四头基)分子骨架的刚性,可以提高结合位点的结构预组织,进而增强分子间相互作用的协同性和多价性特征,提高自组装结构的有序性或周期性.本文综述了多头基分子自组装形成超分子聚合物的一些重要进展,介绍了二维超分子有机框架(一类新的溶液相周期性自组装网络结构研究的最新进展.     

超分子聚合物:自组装的高分子

简单介绍基于氢键、主客体化学、以及金属配位作用形成超分子聚合物的研究进展,着重概述了金属配位超分子聚合物的形成、特点及其与异电荷物质的静电自组装。     

分子自组装研究进展

介绍了影响分子自组装过程的几个主要因素,包括组分及介质的选择、体系的热力学平衡、聚合物的自组装合成和聚合物聚集体的研究进展。     

基于脲基氢键组装的功能超分子凝胶

有机小分子化合物在分子间氢键、π-π堆积、亲疏水作用、范德华力等非共价键弱相互作用力驱动下,自组装形成三维网络结构的物理凝胶称为超分子凝胶。含有脲基的凝胶因子由于其强氢键缔合能力以及与阴离子、金属离子、卤素化合物等作用的可调变多样性,成为组装超分子凝胶中特别有效的氢键组装单元。本文分别从单脲基、双脲基和多脲基的凝胶因子分类综述了基于脲基氢键组装的功能超分子凝胶的研究工作,特别是近几年来的重要进展。对一些成功例子,从分子设计及成胶操作条件控制等方面的精细调谐如何解决聚集-溶解这对主要矛盾,从而实现溶胶-凝胶的转化及其可能的应用前景进行了评述。本文展望了该领域的发展方向与趋势,指出超分子凝胶研究经过多年的快速发展,深化对其蕴含机制以及动力学过程的认识与调控以实现具有多种刺激响应、多重信号输出的多组分复合功能凝胶体系的加工制备是发展趋势与必然要求,展现出广泛的应用前景也极富挑战性。     

MOLECULAR DESIGN OF NEW KINDS OF AUXETIC POLYMERS AND NETWORKS

Three new kinds of molecular networks are designed and predicted to exhibit negative Poisson ratios. Molecular mechanics calculations on these networks show that the magnitude of Poisson ratios depends on the relative flexibility of beam and arm structures. Several new kinds of auxetic polymers, whose successful synthesis should be easier than that of the corresponding auxetic networks, are then proposed. It is found that the kabob-like polymers with auxegens lying vertically on the main chain can acquire auxeticity while those with auxegens lying horizontally on the main chain cannot. Besides, a half kabob-like or pseudo-ladder polymer with auxegens linked at the intersection of the beam and the arm does show auxeticity when adopting constrictive conformers. It is, however, worthwhile noting that the origins of auxeticity still await and strongly deserve further experimental and theoretical investigations.     

An experimental and numerical study on an innovative metastructure for 3D printed thermoplastic polyurethane with auxetic performance

Metamaterials are specifically designed materials that possess unique properties that cannot be found in naturally occurring substances. These remarkable materials have the capability to bring about a significant transformation across a wide range of industries. Auxetic structures are a recent area of research possess a distinctive characteristic known as a negative Poisson's ratio. Unlike conventional materials that contract when stretched, auxetic structures actually expand in two dimensions. In this study, a new auxetic structure was introduced, and thermoplastic polyurethane samples were 3D printed using a fused filament fabrication method. The samples are then subjected to strains ranging from 5% to 50% and Poisson's ratios are measured both experimentally and numerically using finite element method in Ansys software. By comparing the results of the experimental research and simulation, it is evident that applying strains within this range causes the Poisson's ratio of the samples to change from −0.81 to −0.14 and it showed that the newly introduced structure is auxetic. According to the analysis of root mean square error, the hexagonal mesh with a size of 0.7 mm consistently produced the most accurate results, aligning closely with the experimental sample. Given that this is an entirely novel auxetic structure within the category of arrow-head auxetic structures, there is potential for future research to be conducted in order to further develop and enhance this model.     

Self-assembled free-floating nanomaterials from sequence-defined polymers

Sequence-defined polymers can be programmed to self-assemble into precise nanostructures for applications in biosensing, drug delivery, optics, and molecular computation. Inspired by the natural self-assembly processes present in biological protein and DNA systems, sets of molecular design rules have emerged across materials classes as instructions to build a variety of tunable structures. This review highlights recent advances in self-assembled sequence-defined and sequence-specific polymers across peptides, peptoids, DNA, and non-biological synthetic materials, with a focus on synthesis, assembly processes and overall structure. Specifically, these self-assembled structures are free-floating, as such constructs can potentially serve as a platform for the aforementioned applications. Emphasis is placed on the molecular design of polymers that self-assemble into zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional nanostructures. With the development of automated syntheses and increasing control over self-assembly, future work may focus on emerging classes of compatible hybrid materials with exciting directions toward new architectures and applications.     

Hydrogen bonding and the self-assembly of supramolecular liquid-crystalline materials

Novel supramolecular liquid-crystalline materials have been obtained by the hydrogen bond formation between different and independent molecules. The self-assembly of carboxylic acid and pyridine moieties that function as H-bond donors and acceptors, respectively, results in the formation of mesogenic complex structures. A wide variety of liquid-crystalline low molecular weight complexes have been prepared using this approach. This concept has been extended to the polymeric systems. Hydrogen-bonded liquid-crystalline polymers that exhibit mesophases over wide temperature ranges, ferroelectricity or photo-responsibility have been prepared by the molecular association. Moreover, liquid-crystalline polymer networks that show reversible smectic-isotropic phase transitions have been formed by the hydrogen bonds. The dynamics of the hydrogen bonding may contribute to the induction of the mesomorphism of the networks.     

Modeling of negative Poisson’s ratio (auxetic) crystalline cellulose I<Subscript>β</Subscript>

Energy minimizations for unstretched and stretched cellulose models using an all-atom empirical force field (molecular mechanics) have been performed to investigate the mechanism for auxetic (negative Poisson’s ratio) response in crystalline cellulose I_β from kraft cooked Norway spruce. An initial investigation to identify an appropriate force field led to a study of the structure and elastic constants from models employing the CVFF force field. Negative values of on-axis Poisson’s ratios ν ₃₁ and ν ₁₃ in the x ₁–x ₃ plane containing the chain direction (x ₃) were realized in energy minimizations employing a stress perpendicular to the hydrogen-bonded cellobiose sheets to simulate swelling in this direction due to the kraft cooking process. Energy minimizations of structural evolution due to stretching along the x ₃ chain direction of the ‘swollen’ (kraft cooked) model identified chain rotation about the chain axis combined with inextensible secondary bonds as the most likely mechanism for auxetic response.     

Phase diagrams,mechanisms and unique characteristics of alternating-structured polymer self-assembly via simulations

Alternating-structured polymers(ASPs), like alternating copolymers, regular multiblock copolymers and polycondensates, are very important polymer structures with broad applications in photoelectric materials. However, their self-assembly behaviors,especially the self-assembly of alternating copolymers, have not been clearly studied up to now. Meanwhile, the unique characteristics therein have not been systematically disclosed yet by both experiments and theories. Herein, we have performed a systematic simulation study on the self-assembly of ASPs with two coil alternating segments in solution through dissipative particle dynamics(DPD) simulations. Several morphological phase diagrams were constructed as functions of different impact parameters. Diverse self-assemblies were observed, including spherical micelles, micelle networks, worm-like micelles, disklike micelles, multimicelle aggregates, bicontinuous micelles, vesicles, nanotubes and channelized micelles. Furthermore, a morphological evolutionary roadmap for all these self-assemblies was constructed, along with which the detailed molecular packing models and self-assembly mechanisms for each aggregate were disclosed. The ASPs were found to adopt a folded-chain mechanism in the self-assemblies. Finally, the unique characteristics for the self-assembly of alternating copolymers were revealed especially, including(1) ultra-fine and uniform feature sizes of the aggregates;(2) independence of self-assembled structures from molecular weight and molecular weight distribution;(3) ultra-small unimolecular aggregates. We believe the current work is beneficial for understanding the self-assembly of alternating structured polymers in solution and can serve as a guide for the further experiments.     

Conversion of low density polyethylene foams into auxetic metamaterials

Cellular polymers, such as polyethylene foams, are commonly used in the packaging industry. These materials have short service life and generate a high volume of waste after use. In order to valorize this waste and produce added-value applications, it is proposed to convert these materials into highly efficient energy absorption structures. This was done by modifying the original cellular morphology of the foams (spheroidal or polygonal) into a re-entrant structure to produce auxetic materials. This work presents an optimized process combining mechanical compression and solvent vapor evaporation-condensation leading to low density foams (77–200 kg/m³) having negative Poisson's ratios (NPR). Three series of recycled low density polyethylene (LDPE) foams with an initial density of 16, 21, and 36 kg/m³ were used to optimize the processing conditions in terms of treatment temperature, time, and pressure. From all the samples prepared, a minimum Poisson's ratio of −3.5 was obtained. To further characterize the samples, the final foam structure was analyzed to relate with mechanical properties and compare with conventional foams having positive Poisson's ratios. The results are discussed using tensile properties and energy dissipation which were shown to be highly improved for auxetic foams. Overall, the resulting foams can be used in several applications such as sport and military protection equipment.     

Self-assembly of various guest substrates in natural cellulose substances to functional nanostructured materials

Biological organisms are produced from self-assembly of highly ordered functional units and are inherently complex and hierarchical, possessing macro-to-nanoscale features. It is a facile, low-cost and environmentally benign short-cut to artificial functional materials with unique multilevel structures and morphologies employing biological substances as platform for the self-assembly of various guest substrates. This review summarizes the recent advances in the fabrication of nanostructured materials with designed properties and functionalities by means of self-assembly of different guest substrates (such as metal oxide thin films, small molecules, polymers, biomacromolecules, nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and colloidal spheres) on the surfaces of cellulose nanofibers of bulk natural cellulose substances. The combination of the specific chemical properties of the guest substrates and the unique physical features of the natural cellulose substances sheds new light on the design and syntheses of new functional nanomaterials.     

Developments in inorganic crystal engineering

The design and synthesis of crystalline materials through the self-assembly of molecular building blocks and the pursuit of functional materials based upon this approach are usually classified under the banner Crystal Engineering. The field is interdisciplinary in nature involving synthetic, materials, structural and theoretical chemists. There are strong ties to modern crystallography which can offer rapid and accurate structure determination and, in particular, insight into molecular and intermolecular geometries. Illustrative examples that chart the development field and provide an assessment of the current state of the art will be reviewed with an emphasis on inorganic chemistry. Broadly speaking, two classes of compounds will be discussed: those based upon molecules or ions linked into networks via noncovalent interactions and those (coordination polymers) in which metal centres are linked using coordination bonds through bridging ligands into extended networks.     

Viologen derivatives with extended π-conjugation structures: From supra-/molecular building blocks to organic porous materials

Recently, increasing attention has been paid on extending the π-conjugation structures of viologens (1,1′-disubstituted-4,4′-bipyridylium salts) by incorporating planar aromatic units into the bipyridinium backbones. Various viologen derivatives with extended π-conjugation structures have been synthesized, including the N-termini aromatic substituted viologens, the extended π-conjugated viologens (denoted as ECVs) as well as the π-conjugated oligomeric viologens (denoted as COVs). These compounds typically exhibit interesting properties distinguished from those of an isolated viologen unit, which make them as new class of electron deficient supra-/molecular building blocks in supramolecular chemistry and materials science. In this review, we would like to highlight the recent advances of viologen derivatives with extended π-conjugation structures in versatile applications ranging from electrochromic and energy storage materials, the ECV/COV-based supramolecular self-assembly systems including the linear supramolecular polymers and 2D/3D supramolecular organic frameworks (SOFs), to the viologen-based covalent organic frameworks (COFs)/networks. We hope this review will serve as an in-time summary worthy of referring, more importantly, to provide inspiration in the rational design of novel molecules with unexplored properties and functions.