Side chain liquid crystalline polymers at interfaces

Reconfigurable and actuating structures from soft materials

The recent interest in reconfigurable soft materials may lead to the next paradigm in the development of adaptive and actuating materials and structures. Actuating soft materials eventually can be precisely designed to show stimuli-sensing, multi-length scale actuation, tunable transport, programmed shape control and multifunctional orthogonal responses. Herein, we discuss the various advances in the emerging field of reconfigurable soft materials with a focus on the various parameters that can be modulated to control a complex system behavior. In particular, we detail approaches that use either long-range fields (i.e. electrical, magnetic) or changes in local thermodynamic parameters (e.g., solvent quality) in order to elicit a precise dimensional and controlled response. The theoretical underpinnings and practical considerations for different approaches are briefly presented alongside several illustrative examples from the recent studies. In the end, we summarize recent accomplishments, critical issues to consider, and give perspectives on the developments of this exciting research field.

Synthesis and phase behavior of a new 2-vinylbiphenyl-based mesogen-jacketed liquid crystalline polymer with a high glass transition temperature and low threshold molecular weight

A new mesogen-jacketed liquid crystalline (LC) polymer was synthesized by NMP. It has a high T_g and a relatively low threshold MW for LC formation.

Bulk and surface assembly of branched amphiphilic polyhedral oligomer silsesquioxane compounds

This study probes the behavior of two series of organic-functionalized core-shell silsesquioxane (POSS-M)p-(x/y) derivatives with various hydrophobic-hydrophilic terminal group compositions in the bulk state and within mono- and multilayered films at the air-water interface and on solid surface. POSS-M refers to mixed silsesquioxane cores, in contrast to the geometrically specific POSS compounds. It is composed of polyhedra, incompletely condensed polyhedra, ladder-type structures, linear structures, and all the possible combinations thereof and attracts great interest because of its facile preparation, low polydispersity, high yield, and low cost. The two series of (POSS-M)p-(x/y) molecules are different in hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance of their terminal groups, with x and y respectively referring to the molar percent of -OCONH-C(18)H(37) tails and -OH for p = 1 and the percent of -OCONH-C(18)H(37) tails and -OCO-C(6)H(4)COOH terminal groups for p = 2. In the bulk state, the presence of aromatic rings in (POSS-M)2-(x/y) series resulted in a lower symmetry crystal structure than the (POSS-M)1-(x/y) series. Moreover, the (POSS-M)p-(x/y) molecules that contain a sufficient amount of -OCONH-C(18)H(37) tails exhibit double endothermic transition, which attributed to the melting of alkyl chains followed by the melting of the unit cells of (POSS-M) cores. The surface morphologies for the various hydrophobic-hydrophilic combinations at surface pressure p = 0.5 mN/m are similar to that observed for the classical amphiphilic star polymers. However, at higher surface pressure (p > or = 5 mN/m), the POSS-M compounds with lower content of hydrophilic groups form a uniform monolayer.

Nanostructured surfaces and assemblies as SERS media

Metallic nanostructures attract much interest as an efficient media for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Significant progress has been made on the synthesis of metal nanoparticles with various shapes, composition, and controlled plasmonic properties, all critical for an efficient SERS response. For practical applications, efficient strategies of assembling metal nanoparticles into organized nanostructures are paramount for the fabrication of reproducible, stable, and highly active SERS substrates. Recent progress in the synthesis of novel plasmonic nanoparticles, fabrication of highly ordered one-, two-, and three-dimensional SERS substrates, and some applications of corresponding SERS effects are discussed.

Responsive brush layers: from tailored gradients to reversibly assembled nanoparticles

We present a condensed overview of the recent developments of novel responsive thin polymer films from end-tethered chains (polymer brushes), which are different from conventional, uniform, and planar brush layers. For this discussion, we selected two types of recently introduced surface layers: binary brush layers with variable chemical composition forming a controllable gradient of composition and properties in a selected direction and brush layers either grafted directly to inorganic nanoparticles to form hybrid core-shell structures or combined with inorganic nanoparticles embedded into this layer. Unlike traditional brush layers, such a design brings a novel set of responsive surface properties allowing for capillary-driven microfluidic motion, combinatorial-like multiplexing response, reversible aggregation and dis-assembly of nanoparticles, fabrication of ultrahydrophobic coatings, and switchable mass transport across interfaces.

Amphiphilic treelike rods at interfaces: layered stems and circular aggregation

Amphiphilic dendron-rod molecules with three hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) branches attached to a hydrophobic octa-p-phenylene rod stem were investigated for their ability to form two-dimensional micellar structures on a solid surface. A treelike shape of the molecules was reported to be a major factor in the formation of nonplanar micellar structures in solution and in the bulk state (cylindrical and spherical). We observed that in these treelike amphiphilic molecules the hydrophilic terminated dendron branches assemble themselves in surface monolayers with the formation of two-dimensional layered or circular micellar structures. We suggested the formation of the planar ribbon-like structures with interdigitated layering within the loosely packed monolayers and circular, ringlike structures (2D circular aggregates) in the precollapsed state.