Interfacial self-organization of bolaamphiphiles bearing mesogenic groups: relationships between the molecular structures and their self-organized morphologies.
This article discusses the relationship between the molecular structure of bolaamphiphiles bearing mesogenic groups and their interfacial self-organized morphology. On the basis of the molecular structures of bolaamphiphiles, we designed and synthesized a series of molecules with different hydrophobic alkyl chain lengths, hydrophilic headgroups, mesogenic groups, and connectors between the alkyl chains and the mesogenic group. Through investigating their interfacial self-organization behavior, some experiential rules are summarized: (1) An appropriate alkyl chain length is necessary to form stable surface micelles; (2) different categories of headgroups have a great effect on the interfacial self-organized morphology; (3) different types of mesogenic groups have little effect on the structure of the interfacial assembly when it is changed from biphenyl to azobenzene or stilbene; (4) the orientation of the ester linker between the mesogenic group and alkyl chain can greatly influence the interfacial self-organization behavior. It is anticipated that this line of research may be helpful for the molecular engineering of bolaamphiphiles to form tailor-made morphologies.
Song
Bo
B
Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Liu
Guanqing
G
Xu
Rui
R
Yin
Shouchun
S
Wang
Zhiqiang
Z
Zhang
Xi
X
D000478:Alkylation; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D004952:Esters / Q000737:chemistry; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D015394:Molecular Structure; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004952:Esters; D014867:Water