Spontaneous bulk organization of molecular assemblers based on aliphatic polyether and/or poly(benzyl ether) dendrons

Properties and Bioapplications of Amphiphilic Janus Dendrimers: A Review

Amphiphilic Janus dendrimers are arrangements containing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic units, capable of forming ordered aggregates by intermolecular noncovalent interactions between the dendrimer units. Compared to conventional dendrimers, these molecular self-assemblies possess particular and effective attributes i.e., the presence of different terminal groups, essential to design new elaborated materials. The present review will focus on the pharmaceutical and biomedical application of amphiphilic Janus dendrimers. Important information for the development of novel optimized pharmaceutical formulations, such as structural classification, synthetic pathways, properties and applications, will offer the complete characterization of this type of Janus dendrimers. This work will constitute an up-to-date background for dendrimer specialists involved in designing amphiphilic Janus dendrimer-based nanomaterials for future innovations in this promising field.

High electric conductivity of liquid crystals formed by ordered self-assembly of nonionic surfactant N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)dodecanamide in water

This work reports the ordered self-assembly of nonconductive small molecules that achieved extra high conductivity, thereby stating an convenient approach for constructing a biofriendly soft material that is suitable to be used as implantable biosensors and electro-stimulated drug delivery systems. The microstructure and the conductive mechanism were investigated in detail by combining experimental methods and molecular simulation. This research demonstrated that self-assembly of amide groups with delocalized electrons into π-stacked arrays exhibited high mobilities for charge carriers. The excellent biocompatibility and processability of soft materials such as liquid crystals ensure that the system has high potential in the advance fields of biosensors and drug delivery devices.

2D assemblies of ionic liquid crystals based on imidazolium moieties: formation of ion-conductive layers

Organization of imidazolium ionic liquids into 2D ion-conductive pathways enhances the ionic conductivity of the imidazolium-based ionic liquid crystals.

3D Anhydrous proton-transporting nanochannels formed by self-assembly of liquid crystals composed of a sulfobetaine and a sulfonic acid

Herein we describe anhydrous proton transportation through 3D interconnected pathways formed by self-assembled molecular complexes. A thermotropic bicontinuous cubic (Cub(bi)) phase has been successfully obtained by mixing a wedge-shaped sulfobetaine with benzenesulfonic acid in different ratios. These ionic complexes exhibit the Cub(bi) phase in a wide range of temperatures, while the single zwitterionic compound shows only a columnar hexagonal phase, and benzenesulfonic acid is nonmesomorphic. Anhydrous proton conduction on the order of 10(-4) S cm(-1) has been achieved for the mixture in the Cub(bi) phase over 100 °C, which can be useful for the development of new electrolytes for the next generation of fuel cells.

Development of structural complexity by liquid-crystal self-assembly

Since the discovery of the liquid-crystalline state of matter 125 years ago, this field has developed into a scientific area with many facets. This Review presents recent developments in the molecular design and self-assembly of liquid crystals. The focus is on new exciting soft-matter structures distinct from the usually observed nematic, smectic, and columnar phases. These new structures have enhanced complexity, including multicompartment and cellular structures, periodic and quasiperiodic arrays of spheres, and new emergent properties, such as ferroelctricity and spontaneous achiral symmetry-breaking. Comparisons are made with developments in related fields, such as self-assembled monolayers, multiblock copolymers, and nanoparticle arrays. Measures of structural complexity used herein are the size of the lattice, the number of distinct compartments, the dimensionality, and the logic depth of the resulting supramolecular structures.