In Situ Controlled Construction of a Hierarchical Supramolecular Chiral Liquid-Crystalline Polymer Assembly |
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| Authors: | Xiaoxiao Cheng Tengfei Miao Lu Yin Prof Yujin Ji Prof Youyong Li Prof Zhengbiao Zhang Prof Wei Zhang Prof Xiulin Zhu |
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| Institution: | 1. State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123 China;2. Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123 China |
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| Abstract: | Hierarchical supramolecular chiral liquid-crystalline (LC) polymer assemblies are challenging to construct in situ in a controlled manner. Now, polymerization-induced chiral self-assembly (PICSA) is reported. Hierarchical supramolecular chiral azobenzene-containing block copolymer (Azo-BCP) assemblies were constructed with π–π stacking interactions occurring in the layered structure of Azo smectic phases. The evolution of chirality from terminal alkyl chain to Azo mesogen building blocks and further induction of supramolecular chirality in LC BCP assemblies during PICSA is achieved. Morphologies such as spheres, worms, helical fibers, lamellae, and vesicles were observed. The morphological transition had a crucial effect on the chiral expression of Azo-BCP assemblies. The supramolecular chirality of Azo-BCP assemblies destroyed by 365 nm UV irradiation can be recovered by heating–cooling treatment; this dynamic reversible achiral–chiral switching can be repeated at least five times. |
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| Keywords: | azobenzene helical fibrilar phase liquid-crystalline block copolymers polymerization supramolecular chirality |
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