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Yu H, Liu L, Yin R, Jayapurna I, Wang R, Xu T. Mapping Composition Evolution through Synthesis, Purification, and Depolymerization of Random Heteropolymers. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:6178-6188. [PMID: 38387070 PMCID: PMC10921401 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c13909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Random heteropolymers (RHPs) consisting of three or more comonomers have been routinely used to synthesize functional materials. While increasing the monomer variety diversifies the side-chain chemistry, this substantially expands the sequence space and leads to ensemble-level sequence heterogeneity. Most studies have relied on monomer composition and simulated sequences to design RHPs, but the questions remain unanswered regarding heterogeneities within each RHP ensemble and how closely these simulated sequences reflect the experimental outcomes. Here, we quantitatively mapped out the evolution of monomer compositions in four-monomer-based RHPs throughout a design-synthesis-purification-depolymerization process. By adopting a Jaacks method, we first determined 12 reactivity ratios directly from quaternary methacrylate RAFT copolymerization experiments to account for the influences of competitive monomer addition and the reversible activation/deactivation equilibria. The reliability of in silico analysis was affirmed by a quantitative agreement (<4% difference) between the simulated RHP compositions and the experimental results. Furthermore, we mapped out the conformation distribution within each ensemble in different solvents as a function of monomer chemistry, composition, and segmental characteristics via high-throughput computation based on self-consistent field theory (SCFT). These comprehensive studies confirmed monomer composition as a viable design parameter to engineer RHP-based functional materials as long as the reactivity ratios are accurately determined and the livingness of RHP synthesis is ensured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yu
- California
Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Luofu Liu
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Ruilin Yin
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California,
Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Ivan Jayapurna
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Rui Wang
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Ting Xu
- California
Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California,
Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Departent
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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