Conformational control of hydrogen-bonded aromatic bis-ureas

Pathway complexity in fibre assembly: from liquid crystals to hyper-helical gelmorphs

Pathway complexity results in unique materials from the same components according to the assembly conditions. Here a chiral acyl-semicarbazide gelator forms three different gels of contrasting fibre morphology (termed 'gelmorphs') as well as lyotropic liquid crystalline droplets depending on the assembly pathway. The gels have morphologies that are either hyperhelical (HH-Gel), tape-fibre (TF-Gel) or thin fibril derived from the liquid crystalline phase (LC-Gels) and exhibit very different rheological properties. The gelator exists as three slowly interconverting conformers in solution. All three gels are comprised of an unsymmetrical, intramolecular hydrogen bonded conformer. The kinetics show that formation of the remarkable HH-Gel is cooperative and is postulated to involve association of the growing fibril with a non-gelling conformer. This single molecule dynamic conformational library shows how very different materials with different morphology and hence very contrasting materials properties can arise from pathway complexity as a result of emergent interactions during the assembly process.

Effect of the Strength of Stickers on Rheology and Adhesion of Supramolecular Center-Functionalized Polyisobutenes

In order to systematically investigate the effect of the strength of the supramolecular interactions on the debonding properties of associative polymers, a series of model systems have been characterized by probe-tack tests. These model materials, composed of linear and low dispersity poly(isobutylene) chains ( M_n ≈ 3 kg/mol) center-functionalized by a single bis-urea sticker, are able to self-assemble by four hydrogen bonds. Three types of stickers are used in the present study: a bis-urea with a methylene diphenyl (MDI) spacer, a bis-urea with a tolyl (TOL) spacer, and a bis-urea with a xylyl (XYL) spacer. In order to investigate the influence of stickers in depth, both the nanostructure of the materials and the linear rheology were investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and oscillatory shear, respectively. For two types of stickers (TOL and XYL), the association of polymers via hydrogen bonds induces the formation of bundles of rodlike aggregates at room temperature and the behavior of a soft elastic material was observed. For bis-urea MDI, no structure is detected by SAXS and a Newtonian behavior is observed at room temperature. In probe-tack experiments, all these materials show a cohesive mode of failure, a signature of flowing materials as previously observed for tri-urea center-functionalized poly(butylacrylate) (PnBA3U). However, XYL center-functionalized polyisobutene shows much higher debonding energies than PnBA3U, revealing the importance of the strength of noncovalent bonds in the scission/recombination dynamics. On the basis of the analysis of the debonding images, this effect is discussed via the mechanical behavior at large deformation.

Two-Component Self-Assemblies: Investigation of a Synergy between Bisurea Stickers

It is of interest to develop two-component systems for added flexibility in the design of supramolecular polymers, nanofibers, or organogels. Bisureas are known to self-assemble by hydrogen bonding into long supramolecular objects. We show here that mixing aromatic bisureas with slightly different structures can yield surprisingly large synergistic effects. A strong increase in viscosity is observed when a bisurea with the sterically demanding 2,4,6-trimethylbenzene spacer is combined with a bisurea bearing no methyl group in position 2 of the aromatic spacer (i.e., 4-methylbenzene or 4,6-dimethylbenzene). This effect is the consequence of a change in the supramolecular assembly triggered by the composition of the mixture. The mixture of complementary bisureas forms rodlike objects that are more stable by about 1 kJ/mol and that are thicker than the rodlike objects formed by both parent systems.

Tuning the nature and stability of self-assemblies formed by ester benzene 1,3,5-tricarboxamides: the crucial role played by the substituents

As the benzene 1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) moiety is commonly used as the central assembling unit for the construction of functionalized supramolecular architectures, strategies to tailor the nature and stability of BTA assemblies are needed. The assembly properties of a library of structurally simple BTAs derived from amino dodecyl esters (ester BTAs, 13 members) have been studied, either in the bulk or in cyclohexane solutions, by means of a series of analytical methods (NMR, DSC, POM, FT-IR, UV-Vis, CD, ITC, high-sensitivity DSC, SANS). Two types of hydrogen-bonded species have been identified and characterized: the expected amide-bonded helical rods (or stacks) that are structurally similar to those formed by BTAs with simple alkyl side chains (alkyl BTAs), and ester-bonded dimers in which the BTAs are connected by means of hydrogen bonds linking the amide N-H and the ester C[double bond, length as m-dash]O. MM/MD calculations coupled with simulations of CD spectra allow for the precise determination of the molecular arrangement and of the hydrogen bond pattern of these dimers. Our study points out the crucial influence of the substituent attached on the amino-ester α-carbon on the relative stability of the rod-like versus dimeric assemblies. By varying this substituent, one can precisely tune the nature of the dominant hydrogen-bonded species (stacks or dimers) in the neat compounds and in cyclohexane over a wide range of temperatures and concentrations. In the neat BTAs, stacks are stable up to 213 °C and dimers above 180 °C whilst in cyclohexane stacks form at c* > 3 × 10^-5 M at 20 °C and dimers are stable up to 80 °C at 7 × 10^-6 M. Ester BTAs that assemble into stacks form a liquid-crystalline phase and yield gels or viscous solutions in cyclohexane, demonstrating the importance of controlling the structure of these assemblies. Our systematic study of these structurally similar ester BTAs also allows for a better understanding of how a single atom or moiety can impact the nature and stability of BTA aggregates, which is of importance for the future development of functionalized BTA supramolecular polymers.

Evaporation-induced self-structuring of organised silica nanohybrid films through cooperative physical and chemical interactions

In this work, we develop the concept of evaporation-induced self-structuring as a novel approach for producing organised films by exploiting cooperative physical and chemical interactions under far-from-equilibrium conditions (spin-coating), using sol-gel precursors with multiple functional groups. Thin films of self-structured silsesquioxane nanohybrids have been deposited by spin coating through the sol-gel hydrolysis and condensation of a bridged organosilane bearing self-assembling urea groups. The resulting nanostructure, investigated by FTIR, AFM and SEM, is shown to be highly dependent on the catalyst used (nucleophilic or acidic), and can be further modulated by varying the spinning rate. FTIR studies revealed the presence of highly organised structures under acidic catalysis due to strong hydrogen bonding between urea groups and hydrophobic interactions between long alkylene chains. The preferential orientation of the urea cross-links parallel to the substrate is shown using polarized FTIR experiments.

Structural Control of Bisurea-Based Supramolecular Polymers: Influence of an Ester Moiety

A few examples of monomers are known that self-assemble into various high molar mass structures in solution. Controlling the morphology of the resulting supramolecular polymers is a highly desirable goal for many applications. Herein, we compare the self-assembling properties of newly prepared ester bisurea monomers with those of previously investigated alkyl bisurea monomers. The ester functionality decreases the hydrogen bonding strength of the bisurea monomers but does not prevent the formation of long assemblies in nonpolar solvents: gels are formed at millimolar concentration. Surprisingly, ester bisureas self-assemble at room temperature into rod-like urea-bonded supramolecular polymers that are different from the ones formed by alkyl bisureas. The rods formed by ester bisurea supramolecular polymers are compact (instead of tubular in the case of alkyl bisureas) and display two monomers in the cross-section (instead of three in the case of alkyl bisureas). The stability of the structures formed by ester bisureas can be easily tuned by changing the nature of the substituent in the α-position of the urea functions and/or the nature of the alkyl side chains.