title: Dynamic Sub-10-nm Nanostructured Ultrathin Films of Sugar-Polyolefin Conjugates Thermoresponsive at Physiological Temperatures.
abstract: Spin-casting of a cellobiose-atactic polypropene (CB-aPP) conjugate (1) from a 0.1% (w/w) n-butanol/hexane solution onto highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and carbon-coated Si(100) spontaneously produced microphase-separated sub-10-nm nanostructured ultrathin films in the form of alternating CB and aPP lamellar domains (d = 6.60 ± 0.68 nm) that are oriented perpendicular to the substrate surface. Thermal annealing at modest temperatures (e.g., 50-100 °C), and as low as the physiologically relevant temperature of 38 °C, serves to drive a structural transition that yields a parallel stacked bilayer assembly as the thermodynamically favored nanostructure. These results establish the advantage of low molecular weight, narrow polydispersity, and amorphous, low Tg, poly(α-olefinate)s (xPAOs) as a new class of hydrophobic building block for amphiphilic materials, and sugar-PAO conjugates in particular, for the development of stimuli-responsive, nanostructured materials for technological applications at physiological temperatures.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Catalyst Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.
authors.forename: Samantha R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Catalyst Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.
authors.forename: Wonseok
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Catalyst Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.
authors.forename: Lawrence R
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9880-1126
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Sita
mesh_terms: D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D011090:Polyenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D000073893:Sugars / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D011090:Polyenes; D000073893:Sugars; C035051:PL 732