Geometry-Directed Self-Assembly of Polymeric Molecular Frameworks

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2021 Jan 25;60(4):2024-2029. doi: 10.1002/anie.202012117. Epub 2020 Dec 15.

Abstract

Despite the significant advances in creating assembled structures from polymers, engineering the assembly of polymeric materials into framework structures remains an outstanding challenge. In this work, we present a facile strategy to construct polymeric molecular frameworks through the assembly of T-shape polymer-rod-sphere amphiphiles in the bulk state. Various frameworks are yielded as a result of delicate interplays among three components of the T-shape amphiphiles. The internal structure of frameworks was revealed by combining experimental investigations and computational simulations. The frameworks display good solution-processability, thermal stability, and uniform pore-forming capability, which endow the resultant frameworks with great potential in scalable fabrications.

Keywords: nanostructures; oligofluorene; polymeric framework; polymers; self-assembly.