Temperature-Dependent Multidimensional Self-Assembly of Polyphenylene-Based "Rod-Coil" Graft Polymers.
We present a novel type of "rod-coil" graft copolymer containing a polyphenylene backbone linked with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) side chains. Such graft copolymers manifest unprecedented temperature-dependent one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) self-assembly in solution. At 20 °C, which is higher than the crystallization temperature (Tc) of the PEO chains, the achiral graft copolymers self-organize into nanoribbons that twist into ∼30 μm ultralong helices with controlled pitch depending on the grafting ratio of the PEO chains. At 10 °C, which is lower than the Tc, quadrangular multilayer sheets of over 10 μm in lateral size are obtained. To our knowledge, this work presents the first example of controlled self-assembly of graft polymers into 1D helix and 2D sheet superstructures.
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China.
Yinjuan
Y
Huang
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China.
Yiyong
Y
Mai
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China.
Xiangwen
X
Yang
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research , Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
Uliana
U
Beser
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research , Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
Junzhi
J
Liu
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China.
Fan
F
Zhang
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China.
Deyue
D
Yan
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research , Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
Klaus
K
Müllen
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China.|Department of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden , Mommsenstrasse 4, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
Xinliang
X
Feng