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Toujani C, Padilla LA, Alhraki N, Hur SM, Ramírez-Hernández A. Self-assembly of rod-coil-rod block copolymers in a coil-selective solvent: coarse-grained simulation results. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:3131-3142. [PMID: 38497125 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00251b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The solution self-assembly of amphiphilic polymers provides a versatile approach to design novel nanostructured materials. Multiblock polymers, particularly those composed of liquid crystalline and coil blocks, are of significant interest due to the potential display of nematic ordering in liquid crystalline domains, offering intriguing optical and mechanical properties. In this study, dissipative particle dynamics is used to investigate the solution self-assembly of rod-coil-rod copolymers in a coil-selective solvent. Extensive molecular simulations were conducted to elucidate the impact of polymer composition, concentration and flexibility on the self-assembly behavior. A quantitative analysis was performed to investigate how polymer conformations varied with changes in composition, concentration, and rigidity. Simulation results show that, at small rod compositions, rod-coil-rod polymers self-assemble into micelles at low concentrations, transitioning to network formation as concentration increases. An increase in rod composition leads to the formation of larger aggregates, resulting in cylindrical micelles and membranes. The results reported here also offer insights into the role of flexibility in shaping the self-assembly behavior of rod-coil-rod triblocks in selective solvents, thus, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the factors governing the formation of diverse structures in the solution self-assembly of triblock copolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiraz Toujani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249, USA
| | - Luis A Padilla
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249, USA
| | - Nour Alhraki
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249, USA
| | - Su-Mi Hur
- Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, South Korea
| | - Abelardo Ramírez-Hernández
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249, USA.
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Liquid-Crystal Ordering and Microphase Separation in the Lamellar Phase of Rod-Coil-Rod Triblock Copolymers. Molecular Theory and Computer Simulations. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13193392. [PMID: 34641206 PMCID: PMC8512297 DOI: 10.3390/polym13193392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A molecular model of the orientationally ordered lamellar phase exhibited by asymmetric rod-coil-rod triblock copolymers has been developed using the density-functional approach and generalizing the molecular-statistical theory of rod-coil diblock copolymers. An approximate expression for the free energy of the lamellar phase has been obtained in terms of the direct correlation functions of the system, the Flory-Huggins parameter and the Maier-Saupe orientational interaction potential between rods. A detailed derivation of several rod-rod and rod-coil density-density correlation functions required to evaluate the free energy is presented. The orientational and translational order parameters of rod and coil segments depending on the temperature and triblock asymmetry have been calculated numerically by direct minimization of the free energy. Different structure and ordering of the lamellar phase at high and low values of the triblock asymmetry is revealed and analyzed in detail. Asymmetric rod-coil-rod triblock copolymers have been simulated using the method of dissipative particle dynamics in the broad range of the Flory-Huggins parameter and for several values of the triblock asymmetry. It has been found that the lamellar phase appears to be the most stable one at strong segregation. The density distribution of the coil segments and the segments of the two different rods have been determined for different values of the segregation strength. The simulations confirm the existence of a weakly ordered lamellar phase predicted by the density-functional theory, in which the short rods separate from the long ones and are characterized by weak positional ordering.
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Lv Y, Wang L, Wu F, Gong S, Wei J, Lin S. Self-assembly and stimuli-responsive behaviours of side-chain liquid crystalline copolymers: a dissipative particle dynamics simulation approach. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:7645-7653. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cp00400a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Side-chain liquid crystalline copolymers are able to self-assemble into various aggregates in selective solvents, in particular, deformed structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisheng Lv
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
| | - Liquan Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
| | - Fangsheng Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
| | - Shuting Gong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
| | - Jie Wei
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
| | - Shaoliang Lin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
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Cai C, Lin J, Lu Y, Zhang Q, Wang L. Polypeptide self-assemblies: nanostructures and bioapplications. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 45:5985-6012. [PMID: 27722321 DOI: 10.1039/c6cs00013d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Polypeptide copolymers can self-assemble into diverse aggregates. The morphology and structure of aggregates can be varied by changing molecular architectures, self-assembling conditions, and introducing secondary components such as polymers and nanoparticles. Polypeptide self-assemblies have gained significant attention because of their potential applications as delivery vehicles for therapeutic payloads and as additives in the biomimetic mineralization of inorganics. This review article provides an overview of recent advances in nanostructures and bioapplications related to polypeptide self-assemblies. We highlight recent contributions to developing strategies for the construction of polypeptide assemblies with increasing complexity and novel functionality that are suitable for bioapplications. The relationship between the structure and properties of the polypeptide aggregates is emphasized. Finally, we briefly outline our perspectives and discuss the challenges in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhua Cai
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Jiaping Lin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Yingqing Lu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Qian Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Liquan Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
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Li Y, Jiang T, Wang L, Lin S, Lin J. Self-assembly of rod-coil-rod triblock copolymers: A route toward hierarchical liquid crystalline structures. POLYMER 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2016.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Ghelichi M, Malek K, Eikerling MH. Ionomer Self-Assembly in Dilute Solution Studied by Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics. Macromolecules 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5b02158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Ghelichi
- Department
of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A
1S6, Canada
| | - Kourosh Malek
- Department
of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A
1S6, Canada
- Energy,
Mining, and Environment, National Research Council of Canada, 4250
Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1W5, Canada
| | - Michael H. Eikerling
- Department
of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A
1S6, Canada
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Hu Z, Willard AP, Ono RJ, Bielawski CW, Rossky PJ, Vanden Bout DA. An insight into non-emissive excited states in conjugated polymers. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8246. [PMID: 26391514 PMCID: PMC4595598 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Conjugated polymers in the solid state usually exhibit low fluorescence quantum yields, which limit their applications in many areas such as light-emitting diodes. Despite considerable research efforts, the underlying mechanism still remains controversial and elusive. Here, the nature and properties of excited states in the archetypal polythiophene are investigated via aggregates suspended in solvents with different dielectric constants (ɛ). In relatively polar solvents (ɛ>∼ 3), the aggregates exhibit a low fluorescence quantum yield (QY) of 2–5%, similar to bulk films, however, in relatively nonpolar solvents (ɛ<∼ 3) they demonstrate much higher fluorescence QY up to 20–30%. A series of mixed quantum-classical atomistic simulations illustrate that dielectric induced stabilization of nonradiative charge-transfer (CT) type states can lead to similar drastic reduction in fluorescence QY as seen experimentally. Fluorescence lifetime measurement reveals that the CT-type states exist as a competitive channel of the formation of emissive exciton-type states. Conjugated polymers in thin films exhibit low fluorescence quantum yields, but the mechanism is still unclear. Here, Hu et al. show the trade-off between charge transfer and emissive exciton states, whilst the former can be suppressed via dielectric-induced stabilization for large fluorescence quantum yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongjian Hu
- Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Adam P Willard
- Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Robert J Ono
- Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Christopher W Bielawski
- Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Peter J Rossky
- Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - David A Vanden Bout
- Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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