Dramatic shape modulation of surfactant/diacetylene microstructures at the air-water interface

Highly Sensitive Polydiacetylene Ensembles for Biosensing and Bioimaging

Polydiacetylenes are prepared from amphiphilic diacetylenes first through self-assembly and then polymerization. Different from common supramolecular assemblies, polydiacetylenes have stable structure and very special optical properties such as absorption, fluorescence, and Raman. The hydrophilic head of PDAs is easy to be chemically modified with functional groups for detection and imaging applications. PDAs will undergo a specific color change from blue to red, fluorescence enhancement and Raman spectrum changes in the presence of receptor ligands. These properties allow PDA-based sensors to have high sensitivity and specificity during analysis. Therefore, the PDAs have been widely used for detection of viruses, bacteria, proteins, antibiotics, hormones, sialic acid, metal ions and as probes for bioimaging in recent years. In this review, the preparation, polymerization, and detection mechanisms of PDAs are discussed, and some representative research advances in the field of bio-detection and bioimaging are highlighted.

Spatially Controlled Noncovalent Functionalization of 2D Materials Based on Molecular Architecture

Polymerizable amphiphiles can be assembled into lying-down phases on 2D materials such as graphite and graphene to create chemically orthogonal surface patterns at 5-10 nm scales, locally modulating functionality of the 2D basal plane. Functionalization can be carried out through Langmuir-Schaefer conversion, in which a subset of molecules is transferred out of a standing phase film on water onto the 2D substrate. Here, we leverage differences in molecular structure to spatially control transfer at both nanoscopic and microscopic scales. We compare transfer properties of five different single- and dual-chain amphiphiles, demonstrating that those with strong lateral interactions (e.g., hydrogen-bonding networks) exhibit the lowest transfer efficiencies. Since molecular structures also influence microscopic domain morphologies in Langmuir films, we show that it is possible to transfer such microscale patterns, taking advantage of variations in the local transfer rates based on the structural heterogeneity in Langmuir films. Nanoscale domain morphologies also vary in ways that are consistent with predicted relative transfer and diffusion rates. These results suggest strategies to tailor noncovalent functionalization of 2D substrates through controlled LS transfer.

On the Morphology of the SDS Film on the Surface of Borosilicate Glass

Surfactant films on solid surfaces have attracted much attention because of their scientific interest and applications, such as surface treatment agent, or for micro- or nano-scale templates for microfluidic devices. In this study, anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions with various charged inorganic salts was spread on a glass substrate and dried to form an SDS thin film. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to observe the micro-structure of the SDS thin film. The effects of inorganic salts on the morphology of the SDS film were observed and discussed. The results of experiments demonstrated that pure SDS film formed patterns of long, parallel, highly-ordered stripes. The existence of the inorganic salt disturbed the structure of the SDS film due to the interaction between the cationic ion and the anionic head groups of SDS. The divalent ion has greater electrostatic interaction with anionic head groups than that of the monovalent ion, and causes a gross change in the morphology of the SDS film. The height of the SDS bilayer measured was consistent with the theoretical value, and the addition of the large-sized monovalent ion would lead to lowering the height of the adsorbed structures.

Mixed diacetylene/octadecyl melamine nanowires formed at the air/water interface exhibit unique structural and colorimetric properties

Polydiacetylene (PDA) assemblies exhibit interesting photophysical properties, specifically, visible colorimetric transformations. A considerable body of work has focused on the formation and characterization of PDA Langmuir monolayer systems, and the overwhelming majority of reports so far have indicated that the adoption of 2D sheetlike structures associated with a hydrogen bond network between the diacetylene headgroups is a prerequisite for polymerization and chromatic properties. Here we report for the first time on the assembly of nanowire networks in mixed Langmuir monolayers comprising diacetylene monomers and octadecyl melamine surfactants. Structural and physical analysis indicates that the nanowires are composed of a helical organization of stacked diacetylene/octadecyl melamine building blocks assembled through hydrogen bonds between the melamine residues and the carboxylic termini of the diacetylenes. Following ultraviolet-induced polymerization, the PDA/octadecyl melamine nanowires exhibited unusual chromatic properties, specifically, an absence of the ubiquitous "blue" phase, rather transforming into a new "purple" PDA phase. This study demonstrates that the incorporation of surfactant constituents within diacetylene frameworks provides a means for modulating the structural and chromatic features of PDA assemblies, giving rise to new morphologies and unique optical properties.