title: Functional self-assembling bolaamphiphilic polydiacetylenes as colorimetric sensor scaffolds.
abstract: Conjugated polymers capable of responding to external stimuli by changes in optical, electrical, or electrochemical properties can be used for the construction of direct sensing devices. Polydiacetylene-based systems are attractive for sensing applications due to their colorimetric response to changes in the local environment. Here we present the design, preparation, and characterization of self-assembling functional bolaamphiphilic polydiacetylenes (BPDAs) inspired by nature's strategy for membrane stabilization. We show that by placing polar headgroups on both ends of the diacetylene lipids in a transmembranic fashion and by altering the chemical nature of the polar surface residues, the conjugated polymers can be engineered to display a range of radiation-, thermal-, and pH-induced colorimetric responses. We observed dramatic nanoscopic morphological transformations accompanying charge-induced chromatic transitions, suggesting that both side-chain disordering and main-chain rearrangement play important roles in altering the effective conjugation lengths of the poly(ene-yne). These results establish the foundation for further development of BPDA-based colorimetric sensors.
authors.affiliation: Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA. jsong@lbl.gov
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Justin S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Cisar
authors.forename: Carolyn R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bertozzi