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Zhang J, Li S, Yin Y, Xiang L, Xu F, Mai Y. One-Dimensional Helical Nanostructures from the Hierarchical Self-Assembly of an Achiral "Rod-Coil" Alternating Copolymer. Macromol Rapid Commun 2022; 43:e2200437. [PMID: 35726773 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The self-assembly of alternating copolymers (ACPs) has attracted considerable interest due to their unique alternating nature. However, compared with block copolymers, their self-assembly behavior has remained much less explored and their reported self-assembled structures are limited. Here, we report the formation of supramolecular helical structures by the self-assembly of an achiral rod-coil alternating copolymer, poly(quarter(3-hexylthiophene)-alt-poly(ethylene glycol)) (P(Q3HT-alt-PEG)). The copolymer exhibited an interesting hierarchical self-assembly process, driven by the π-π stacking of the Q3HT segments and the solvophobic interaction of the alkyl chains in tetrahydrofuran (THF)-isopropanol (iPrOH) mixed solvents. The copolymer first self-assembled into thin nanobelts with a uniform size, then grew to helical nanoribbons and eventually twisted into helical nanowires with an average diameter of 25 ± 9 nm and a mean pitch of 80 ± 10 nm. Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation supported the formation course of the helical nanowires. Furthermore, the addition of (S)-ethyl lactate and (R)-ethyl lactate in the self-assembly of P(Q3HT-alt-PEG) resulted in the formation of left-handed and right-handed chiral nanowires, respectively, demonstrating the tunability of the chirality of the helical wires. This study expands the library of ordered self-assembled structures of ACPs, and also brings a new strategy and mechanism to construct helical supramolecular structures. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Ageing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Shanlong Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Ageing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yucheng Yin
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Ageing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Luoxing Xiang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Ageing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Fugui Xu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Ageing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yiyong Mai
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Ageing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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