Hydrogen-Bonded Multifunctional Supramolecular Copolymers in Water

Langmuir. 2015 Jul 21;31(28):7738-48. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b01093. Epub 2015 Jul 9.

Abstract

We have investigated the self-assembly in water of molecules having a single hydrophobic bis-urea domain linked to different hydrophilic functional side chains, i.e., bioactive peptidic residues and fluorescent cyanine dyes. By using a combination of spectroscopy, scattering, and microscopy techniques, we show that each one of these molecules can individually produce well-defined nanostructures such as twisted ribbons, two-dimensional plates, or branched fibers. Interestingly, when these monomers of different functionalities are mixed in an equimolar ratio, supramolecular copolymers are preferred to narcissistic segregation. Radiation scattering and imaging techniques demonstrate that one of the molecular units dictates the formation of a preferential nanostructure, and optical spectroscopies reveal the alternated nature of the copolymerization process. This work illustrates how social self-sorting in H-bond supramolecular polymers can give straightforward access to multifunctional supramolecular copolymers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Hydrogen Bonding
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Solubility
  • Urea / chemistry
  • Water / chemistry*

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Peptides
  • Polymers
  • Water
  • Urea