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Moghimi E, Chubak I, Ntetsikas K, Polymeropoulos G, Wang X, Carillo C, Statt A, Cipelletti L, Mortensen K, Hadjichristidis N, Panagiotopoulos AZ, Likos CN, Vlassopoulos D. Interpenetrated and Bridged Nanocylinders from Self-Assembled Star Block Copolymers. Macromolecules 2024; 57:926-939. [PMID: 38911231 PMCID: PMC11190992 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c02088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
The design of functional polymeric materials with tunable response requires a synergetic use of macromolecular architecture and interactions. Here, we combine experiments with computer simulations to demonstrate how physical properties of gels can be tailored at the molecular level, using star block copolymers with alternating block sequences as a paradigm. Telechelic star polymers containing attractive outer blocks self-assemble into soft patchy nanoparticles, whereas their mirror-image inverted architecture with inner attractive blocks yields micelles. In concentrated solutions, bridged and interpenetrated hexagonally packed nanocylinders are formed, respectively, with distinct structural and rheological properties. The phase diagrams exhibit a peculiar re-entrance where the hexagonal phase melts upon both heating and cooling because of solvent-block and block-block interactions. The bridged nanostructure is characterized by similar deformability, extended structural coherence, enhanced elasticity, and yield stress compared to micelles or typical colloidal gels, which make them promising and versatile materials for diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmaeel Moghimi
- Institute
of Electronic Structure and Laser, FORTH, Heraklion 71110, Crete, Greece
- Department
of Materials Science and Technology, University
of Crete, Heraklion 71003, Crete, Greece
| | - Iurii Chubak
- Faculty
of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Physico-Chimie
des électrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux, Sorbonne Université CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Konstantinos Ntetsikas
- Polymer
Synthesis Laboratory, Chemistry Program, KAUST Catalysis Center, Physical
Sciences and Engineering Division, King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Georgios Polymeropoulos
- Polymer
Synthesis Laboratory, Chemistry Program, KAUST Catalysis Center, Physical
Sciences and Engineering Division, King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Xin Wang
- Polymer
Synthesis Laboratory, Chemistry Program, KAUST Catalysis Center, Physical
Sciences and Engineering Division, King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Consiglia Carillo
- Institute
of Electronic Structure and Laser, FORTH, Heraklion 71110, Crete, Greece
- Department
of Materials Science and Technology, University
of Crete, Heraklion 71003, Crete, Greece
| | - Antonia Statt
- Materials
Science and Engineering, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana−Champaign, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Luca Cipelletti
- Laboratoire
Charles Coulomb (L2C), University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
- Institut
Universitaire de France, IUF, 75231 Paris, Cedex 05, France
| | - Kell Mortensen
- Niels
Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Nikos Hadjichristidis
- Polymer
Synthesis Laboratory, Chemistry Program, KAUST Catalysis Center, Physical
Sciences and Engineering Division, King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Christos N. Likos
- Faculty
of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Dimitris Vlassopoulos
- Institute
of Electronic Structure and Laser, FORTH, Heraklion 71110, Crete, Greece
- Department
of Materials Science and Technology, University
of Crete, Heraklion 71003, Crete, Greece
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Bačová P, Mintis DG, Gkolfi E, Harmandaris V. Mikto-Arm Stars as Soft-Patchy Particles: From Building Blocks to Mesoscopic Structures. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:1114. [PMID: 33915849 PMCID: PMC8037958 DOI: 10.3390/polym13071114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We present an atomistic molecular dynamics study of self-assembled mikto-arm stars, which resemble patchy-like particles. By increasing the number of stars in the system, we propose a systematic way of examining the mutual orientation of these fully penetrable patchy-like objects. The individual stars maintain their patchy-like morphology when creating a mesoscopic (macromolecular) self-assembled object of more than three stars. The self-assembly of mikto-arm stars does not lead to a deformation of the stars, and their shape remains spherical. We identified characteristic sub-units in the self-assembled structure, differing by the mutual orientation of the nearest neighbor stars. The current work aims to elucidate the possible arrangements of the realistic, fully penetrable patchy particles in polymer matrix and to serve as a model system for further studies of nanostructured materials or all-polymer nanocomposites using the mikto-arm stars as building blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Bačová
- Computation-Based Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, 20 Constantinou Kavafi Str., Nicosia 2121, Cyprus; (D.G.M.); (V.H.)
- Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics (IACM), Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), GR-70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece;
| | - Dimitris G. Mintis
- Computation-Based Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, 20 Constantinou Kavafi Str., Nicosia 2121, Cyprus; (D.G.M.); (V.H.)
| | - Eirini Gkolfi
- Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics (IACM), Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), GR-70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece;
- Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Crete, GR-70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Vagelis Harmandaris
- Computation-Based Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, 20 Constantinou Kavafi Str., Nicosia 2121, Cyprus; (D.G.M.); (V.H.)
- Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics (IACM), Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), GR-70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece;
- Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Crete, GR-70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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Ventura Rosales IE, Rovigatti L, Bianchi E, Likos CN, Locatelli E. Shape control of soft patchy nanoparticles under confinement. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:21188-21197. [PMID: 33034608 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr05058j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Molecular building blocks undergoing a hierarchical assembly process form nano-scale objects which can further assemble into supramolecular structures. When the intermediate units have a limited valence in bonding, complex structures with tailored properties can be created. Here, we consider a composite, star-shaped particle made of f diblock copolymer chains uniformly grafted on a spherical colloid and investigate its first self-assembly stage both in the bulk and under lateral confinement. By means of numerical simulations, we show that, in the bulk, this system develops aggregates whose number and size depend on the temperature as well as on the relative ratio of solvophobic monomers. The emerging aggregates are referred to as patches and impart directionality in bonding to the complex particle. We further characterize how we can control, by changing the lateral confinement, the shape of the brush and the patch properties as a function of the distance between the confining walls. We find that the number of the patches can be determined by tuning the degree of confinement imposed on the particle. Finally, we employ a continuum mechanics model, known as the Liquid Drop Model, to gain insight into the elastic properties of the system. This theoretical approach allows to connect the patch properties to the elastic response of the composite particle.
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