1
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Landfield H, Kalamaris N, Wang M. Extreme dependence of dynamics on concentration in highly crowded polyelectrolyte solutions. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eado4976. [PMID: 38959308 PMCID: PMC11221520 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado4976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Charge-carrying species, such as polyelectrolytes, are vital to natural and synthetic processes that rely on their dynamic behavior. Through single-particle tracking techniques, the diffusivity of individual polyelectrolyte chains and overall system viscosity are determined for concentrated polylysine solutions. These studies show scaling dependences of D ~ c-6.1 and η ~ c7.2, much stronger than theoretical predictions, drawing the applicability of power law fits into question. Similar trends are observed in concentrated solutions prepared at various pH and counterion conditions. These hindered system dynamics appear universal to polyelectrolyte systems and are attributed to the large effective excluded volumes of polyelectrolyte chains inducing glassy dynamics. The framework of the Vrentas-Duda free-volume theory is used to compare polyelectrolyte and neutral systems. Supported by this theory, excluding counterion mass from total polymer mass results in all environmental conditions collapsing onto a common trendline. These results are applicable to crowded biological systems, such as intracellular environments where protein mobility is strongly inhibited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison Landfield
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Nicholas Kalamaris
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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2
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Clarke BR, Witt CL, Ilton M, Crosby AJ, Watkins JJ, Tew GN. Bottlebrush Networks: A Primer for Advanced Architectures. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202318220. [PMID: 38588310 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202318220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Bottlebrush networks (BBNs) are an exciting new class of materials with interesting physical properties derived from their unique architecture. While great strides have been made in our fundamental understanding of bottlebrush polymers and networks, an interdisciplinary approach is necessary for the field to accelerate advancements. This review aims to act as a primer to BBN chemistry and physics for both new and current members of the community. In addition to providing an overview of contemporary BBN synthetic methods, we developed a workflow and desktop application (LengthScale), enabling bottlebrush physics to be more approachable. We conclude by addressing several topical issues and asking a series of pointed questions to stimulate conversation within the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon R Clarke
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, United States
| | - Connor L Witt
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, United States
| | - Mark Ilton
- Department of Physics, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711, United States
| | - Alfred J Crosby
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, United States
| | - James J Watkins
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, United States
| | - Gregory N Tew
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, United States
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3
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Chan JM, Kordon AC, Wang M. Investigating the effects of the local environment on bottlebrush conformations using super-resolution microscopy. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:2409-2418. [PMID: 38230506 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr05000a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The single-chain physics of bottlebrush polymers plays a key role in their macroscopic properties. Although efforts have been made to understand the behavior of single isolated bottlebrushes, studies on their behavior in crowded, application-relevant environments have been insufficient due to limitations in characterization techniques. Here, we use single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) to study the conformations of individual bottlebrush polymers by direct imaging. Our previous work focused on bottlebrushes in a matrix of linear polymers, where our observations suggested that their behavior was largely influenced by an entropic incompatibility between the bottlebrush side chains and the linear matrix. Instead, here we focus on systems where this effect is reduced: in solvent-swollen polymer materials and in systems entirely composed of bottlebrushes. We measure chain conformations and rigidity using persistence length (lp) as side chain molecular weight (Msc) is varied. Compared to a system of linear polymers, we observe greater flexibility of the backbone in both systems. For bottlebrushes in bottlebrush matrices, we additionally observed a scaling relationship between lp and Msc that more closely follows theoretical predictions. For the more flexible chains in both systems, we reach the edge of our resolution limit and cannot visualize the entire contour of every chain. We bypass this limitation by discussing the aspect ratios of the features within the super-resolution images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Chan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
| | - Avram C Kordon
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
| | - Muzhou Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
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4
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Wu X, Barner-Kowollik C. Fluorescence-readout as a powerful macromolecular characterisation tool. Chem Sci 2023; 14:12815-12849. [PMID: 38023522 PMCID: PMC10664555 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc04052f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The last few decades have witnessed significant progress in synthetic macromolecular chemistry, which can provide access to diverse macromolecules with varying structural complexities, topology and functionalities, bringing us closer to the aim of controlling soft matter material properties with molecular precision. To reach this goal, the development of advanced analytical techniques, allowing for micro-, molecular level and real-time investigation, is essential. Due to their appealing features, including high sensitivity, large contrast, fast and real-time response, as well as non-invasive characteristics, fluorescence-based techniques have emerged as a powerful tool for macromolecular characterisation to provide detailed information and give new and deep insights beyond those offered by commonly applied analytical methods. Herein, we critically examine how fluorescence phenomena, principles and techniques can be effectively exploited to characterise macromolecules and soft matter materials and to further unravel their constitution, by highlighting representative examples of recent advances across major areas of polymer and materials science, ranging from polymer molecular weight and conversion, architecture, conformation to polymer self-assembly to surfaces, gels and 3D printing. Finally, we discuss the opportunities for fluorescence-readout to further advance the development of macromolecules, leading to the design of polymers and soft matter materials with pre-determined and adaptable properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Wu
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) 2 George Street Brisbane QLD 4000 Australia
| | - Christopher Barner-Kowollik
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) 2 George Street Brisbane QLD 4000 Australia
- Institute of Nanotechnology (INT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen Germany
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5
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Fan D, Bajgiran SR, Samghabadi FS, Dutta C, Gillett E, Rossky PJ, Conrad JC, Marciel AB, Landes CF. Imaging Heterogeneous 3D Dynamics of Individual Solutes in a Polyelectrolyte Brush. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023. [PMID: 37290000 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c00868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding molecular transport in polyelectrolyte brushes (PEBs) is crucial for applications such as separations, drug delivery, anti-fouling, and biosensors, where structural features of the polymer control intermolecular interactions. The complex structure and local heterogeneity of PEBs, while theoretically predicted, are not easily accessed with conventional experimental methods. In this work, we use 3D single-molecule tracking to understand transport behavior within a cationic poly(2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate) (PDMAEA) brush using an anionic dye, Alexa Fluor 546, as the probe. The analysis is done by a parallelized, unbiased 3D tracking algorithm. Our results explicitly demonstrate that spatial heterogeneity within the brush manifests as heterogeneity of single-molecule displacements. Two distinct populations of probe motion are identified, with anticorrelated axial and lateral transport confinement, which we believe to correspond to intra- vs inter-chain probe motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyu Fan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Shahryar Ramezani Bajgiran
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Farshad Safi Samghabadi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Chayan Dutta
- Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30302, United States
| | - Emil Gillett
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Peter J Rossky
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Smalley Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Jacinta C Conrad
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Amanda B Marciel
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Christy F Landes
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Smalley Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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6
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Huang D, Zhang L, Sun S, Li P, Fu Y, Tian R, Lu C. Three‐Dimensional Fluorescent Imaging to Monitor the Dynamic Distribution of Organic Additives in Polymers. ChemistrySelect 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202202109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 P. R. China
| | - Lijuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 P. R. China
| | - Shihao Sun
- Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC Zhengzhou 450001 China
| | - Peng Li
- Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC Zhengzhou 450001 China
| | - Yingjie Fu
- Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC Zhengzhou 450001 China
| | - Rui Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 P. R. China
| | - Chao Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 P. R. China
- Green Catalysis Center College of Chemistry Zhengzhou 450001 P. R. China
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7
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Nian S, Huang B, Freychet G, Zhernenkov M, Cai LH. Unexpected Folding of Bottlebrush Polymers in Melts. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shifeng Nian
- Soft Biomatter Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia22904, United States
| | - Baiqiang Huang
- Soft Biomatter Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia22904, United States
| | - Guillaume Freychet
- National Synchrotron Light Source-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York11973, United States
| | - Mikhail Zhernenkov
- National Synchrotron Light Source-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York11973, United States
| | - Li-Heng Cai
- Soft Biomatter Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia22904, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia22904, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia22904, United States
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8
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Zhang V, Kang B, Accardo JV, Kalow JA. Structure-Reactivity-Property Relationships in Covalent Adaptable Networks. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:22358-22377. [PMID: 36445040 PMCID: PMC9812368 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c08104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Polymer networks built out of dynamic covalent bonds offer the potential to translate the control and tunability of chemical reactions to macroscopic physical properties. Under conditions at which these reactions occur, the topology of covalent adaptable networks (CANs) can rearrange, meaning that they can flow, self-heal, be remolded, and respond to stimuli. Materials with these properties are necessary to fields ranging from sustainability to tissue engineering; thus the conditions and time scale of network rearrangement must be compatible with the intended use. The mechanical properties of CANs are based on the thermodynamics and kinetics of their constituent bonds. Therefore, strategies are needed that connect the molecular and macroscopic worlds. In this Perspective, we analyze structure-reactivity-property relationships for several classes of CANs, illustrating both general design principles and the predictive potential of linear free energy relationships (LFERs) applied to CANs. We discuss opportunities in the field to develop quantitative structure-reactivity-property relationships and open challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois60208, United States
| | - Boyeong Kang
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois60208, United States
| | - Joseph V Accardo
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois60208, United States
| | - Julia A Kalow
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois60208, United States
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9
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Lee WY, Chapman DV, Yu F, Tait WRT, Thedford RP, Freychet G, Zhernenkov M, Estroff LA, Wiesner UB. Triblock Terpolymer Thin Film Nanocomposites Enabling Two-Color Optical Super-Resolution Microscopy. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wennie Yun Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Dana V. Chapman
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Fei Yu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - William R. T. Tait
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - R. Paxton Thedford
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Guillaume Freychet
- National Synchrotron Light Source-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Mikhail Zhernenkov
- National Synchrotron Light Source-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Lara A. Estroff
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Ulrich B. Wiesner
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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10
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Landfield H, Wang M. Determination of Hydrophobic Polymer Clustering in Concentrated Aqueous Solutions through Single-Particle Tracking Diffusion Studies. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Harrison Landfield
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Muzhou Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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11
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Bae Y, Ha MY, Bang KT, Yang S, Kang SY, Kim J, Sung J, Kang S, Kang D, Lee WB, Choi TL, Park J. Conformation Dynamics of Single Polymer Strands in Solution. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2202353. [PMID: 35725274 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202202353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Conformational changes in macromolecules significantly affect their functions and assembly into high-level structures. Despite advances in theoretical and experimental studies, investigations into the intrinsic conformational variations and dynamic motions of single macromolecules remain challenging. Here, liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy enables the real-time tracking of single-chain polymers. Imaging linear polymers, synthetically dendronized with conjugated aromatic groups, in organic solvent confined within graphene liquid cells, directly exhibits chain-resolved conformational dynamics of individual semiflexible polymers. These experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that the dynamic conformational transitions of the single-chain polymer originate from the degree of intrachain interactions. In situ observations also show that such dynamics of the single-chain polymer are significantly affected by environmental factors, including surfaces and interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuna Bae
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Young Ha
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Taek Bang
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghee Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Yun Kang
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Joodeok Kim
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongbaek Sung
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungsu Kang
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Dohun Kang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Won Bo Lee
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Lim Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungwon Park
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Engineering Research, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 16229, Republic of Korea
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12
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Chan JM, Wang M. Visualizing the Orientation of Single Polymers Induced by Spin-Coating. NANO LETTERS 2022; 22:5891-5897. [PMID: 35786930 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c01830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The orientation of chains within polymeric materials influences their electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties. While many techniques can infer the orientation distribution of a bulk ensemble, it is challenging to determine this information at the single-chain level, particularly in an environment of otherwise identical polymers. Here, we use single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) to visualize the directions of chains within spin-coated polymer films. We find a strong relationship between shear force and the degree and direction of orientation, and additionally, we reveal the effects of chain length and solvent evaporation rate. This work utilizes single-chain resolution to observe the important, though often overlooked, property of chain orientation in the common fabrication process of spin-coating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Chan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Muzhou Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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13
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Mesoscale Modeling of Agglomeration of Molecular Bottlebrushes: Focus on Conformations and Clustering Criteria. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14122339. [PMID: 35745920 PMCID: PMC9227207 DOI: 10.3390/polym14122339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Using dissipative particle dynamics, we characterize dynamics of aggregation of molecular bottlebrushes in solvents of various qualities by tracking the number of clusters, the size of the largest cluster, and an average aggregation number. We focus on a low volume fraction of bottlebrushes in a range of solvents and probe three different cutoff criteria to identify bottlebrushes belonging to the same cluster. We demonstrate that the cutoff criteria which depend on both the coordination number and the length of the side chain allows one to correlate the agglomeration status with the structural characteristics of bottlebrushes in solvents of various qualities. We characterize conformational changes of the bottlebrush within the agglomerates with respect to those of an isolated bottlebrush in the same solvents. The characterization of bottlebrush conformations within the agglomerates is an important step in understanding the relationship between the bottlebrush architecture and material properties. An analysis of three distinct cutoff criteria to identify bottlebrushes belonging to the same cluster introduces a framework to identify both short-lived transient and long-lived agglomerates; the same approach could be further extended to characterize agglomerates of various macromolecules with complex architectures beyond the specific bottlebrush architecture considered herein.
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14
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Kang N, Cho S, Leonhardt EE, Liu C, Verkhoturov SV, Woodward WHH, Eller MJ, Yuan T, Fitzgibbons TC, Borguet YP, Jahnke AA, Sokolov AN, McIntire T, Reinhardt C, Fang L, Schweikert EA, Spencer LP, Sun G, Xie G, Trefonas P, Wooley KL. Topological Design of Highly Anisotropic Aligned Hole Transporting Molecular Bottlebrushes for Solution-Processed OLEDs. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:8084-8095. [PMID: 35471843 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c00420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Polyvinyl polymers bearing pendant hole transport functionalities have been extensively explored for solution-processed hole transport layer (HTL) technologies, yet there are only rare examples of high anisotropic packing of the HT moieties of these polymers into substrate-parallel orientations within HTL films. For small molecules, substrate-parallel alignment of HT moieties is a well-established approach to improve overall device performance. To address the longstanding challenge of extension from vapor-deposited small molecules to solution-processable polymer systems, a fundamental chemistry tactic is reported here, involving the positioning of HT side chains within macromolecular frameworks by the construction of HT polymers having bottlebrush topologies. Applying state-of-the-art polymer synthetic techniques, various functional subunits, including triphenylamine (TPA) for hole transport and adhesion to the substrate, and perfluoro alkyl-substituted benzyloxy styrene for migration to the air interface, were organized with exquisite control over the composition and placement throughout the bottlebrush topology. Upon assembling the HT bottlebrush (HTB) polymers into monolayered HTL films on various substrates through spin-casting and thermal annealing, the backbones of HTBs were vertically aligned while the grafts with pendant TPAs were extended parallel to the substrate. The overall design realized high TPA π-stacking along the out-of-plane direction of the substrate in the HTLs, which doubled the efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes compared with linear poly(vinyl triphenylamine)s.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Chun Liu
- The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan 48667, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Travis McIntire
- The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan 48667, United States
| | - Carl Reinhardt
- The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan 48667, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Guohua Xie
- Sauvage Center for Molecular Sciences and Hubei Key Lab on Organic and Polymeric Optoelectronic Materials, Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Peter Trefonas
- DuPont, Electronics and Imaging Division, Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
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15
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Martinez MR, Dworakowska S, Gorczyński A, Szczepaniak G, Bossa FDL, Matyjaszewski K. Kinetic comparison of isomeric oligo(ethylene oxide) (meth)acrylates: Aqueous polymerization of oligo(ethylene oxide) methyl ether methacrylate and methyl 2‐(oligo(ethylene oxide) methyl ether)acrylate macromonomers. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20220086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael R. Martinez
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Macromolecular Engineering Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
| | - Sylwia Dworakowska
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Macromolecular Engineering Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
- Department of Biotechnology and Renewable Materials, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology Cracow University of Technology Cracow Poland
| | - Adam Gorczyński
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Macromolecular Engineering Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
- Faculty of Chemistry Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - Grzegorz Szczepaniak
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Macromolecular Engineering Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
| | - Ferdinando De Luca Bossa
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Macromolecular Engineering Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
| | - Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Macromolecular Engineering Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
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