1
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Liu J, Wang T, Sun H. Crystalline Nanoflowers Derived from the Intramolecular Cyclization-Induced Self-Assembly of an Amorphous Poly(amic acid) at High Solid Content. ACS Macro Lett 2024; 13:1139-1146. [PMID: 39145765 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.4c00472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
The investigation of the amorphous to crystalline transformation and the corresponding influence on the self-assembly behavior of amphiphilic polymers are of significant interest in this field. Herein, we propose the concept of intramolecular cyclization-induced self-assembly (ICISA) to prepare crystalline nanoflowers at a high solid content of 15% on the basis of the amorphous to crystalline transformation of poly(amic acid) (PAA). Taking advantage of the reactive property of the PAA, rigid and crystalline polyimide (PI) segments are introduced to the backbone of the PAA to give P(AA-stat-I) induced by the intramolecular cyclization reaction upon thermal treatment, leading to the in situ formation of crystalline nanoflowers. Revealing the formation mechanism of the nanoflowers, we found that the nanosheets are formed at the early stage and then stacked to form the nanoflowers at high concentrations. The relationship between the degree of imidization and incubation temperature is quantitatively analyzed, and the effects of temperature on the morphology, degree of imidization, and crystallinity of the assemblies are also investigated. Furthermore, computer simulations demonstrate the optimized temperature of ICISA of 160 °C, which ensures the match between the intramolecular cyclization reaction rate, the self-assembly process, and the lowest energy state of the self-assembly system, resulting in the formation of nanoflowers with high crystallinity. Overall, a facile one-step strategy is proposed to prepare crystalline nanoflowers based on the in situ thermally triggered intramolecular cyclization reaction of a PAA, which may bring fresh insights into the dynamic amorphous to the crystalline transformation of polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiamei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of High-Efficiency Coal Utilization and Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Tao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of High-Efficiency Coal Utilization and Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Hui Sun
- State Key Laboratory of High-Efficiency Coal Utilization and Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
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2
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Pan H, Zhang C, Jiang W, Zhou Y. Living Self-Assembly of Monodisperse Micron-Sized Polymer Vesicles. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202404589. [PMID: 38654509 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202404589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Artificial vesicles are recognized as powerful platforms for a large body of research across the disciplines of chemistry, physics and biology. Despite the great progress, control of the size distribution to make uniform vesicles remains fundamentally difficult due to the highly uncontrollable growth kinetics, especially for micron-sized vesicles. Here we report a template-free living self-assembly method to prepare monodisperse vesicles around 1 μm from an alternating copolymer. The polymer forms nanodisks (ca. 9 nm) in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), acting as seeds for subsequent growth. By adding water, the nanodisks gradually grow into larger circular bilayer nanosheets, which bend to crowns and continue to grow into uniform micron-sized vesicles. The first-order growth kinetics as well as the small size polydispersity index (<0.1) suggests the living self-assembly characteristics. This work paves a new way in both living self-assembly and monodisperse polymer vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Pan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Changxu Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Wenfeng Jiang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yongfeng Zhou
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
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3
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Zhu L, Liu L, Varlas S, Wang RY, O'Reilly RK, Tong Z. Understanding the Seeded Heteroepitaxial Growth of Crystallizable Polymers: The Role of Crystallization Thermodynamics. ACS NANO 2023. [PMID: 37979190 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c09130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Seeded heteroepitaxial growth is a "living" crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) method that has emerged as a promising route to create uniform segmented nanoparticles with diverse core chemistries by using chemically distinct core-forming polymers. Our previous results have demonstrated that crystallization kinetics is a key factor that determines the occurrence of heteroepitaxial growth, but an in-depth understanding of controlling heteroepitaxy from the perspective of crystallization thermodynamics is yet unknown. Herein, we select crystallizable aliphatic polycarbonates (PxCs) with a different number of methylene groups (xCH2, x = 4, 6, 7, 12) in their repeating units as model polymers to explore the effect of lattice match and core compatibility on the seeded growth behavior. Seeded growth of PxCs-containing homopolymer/block copolymer blend unimers from poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) core-forming seed platelet micelles exhibits distinct crystal growth behavior at subambient temperatures, which is governed by the lattice match and core compatibility. A case of seeded growth with better core compatibility and a smaller lattice mismatch follows epitaxial growth, where the newly created crystal domain has the same structural orientation as the original platelet substrate. In contrast, a case of seeded growth with better core compatibility but a larger lattice mismatch shows nonepitaxial growth with less-defined crystal orientations in the platelet plane. Additionally, a case of seeded growth with poor core compatibility and larger lattice mismatch results in polydisperse platelet micelles, whereby crystal formation is not nucleated from the crystalline substrate. These findings reveal important factors that govern the specific crystal growth during a seeded growth approach by using compositionally distinct cores, which would further guide researchers in designing 2D segmented materials via polymer crystallization approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyuan Zhu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, P. R. China
| | - Liping Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, P. R. China
| | - Spyridon Varlas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Dainton Building, Brook Hill, Sheffield S3 7HF, U.K
| | - Rui-Yang Wang
- Shaanxi International Research Center for Soft Matter, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Rachel K O'Reilly
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Zaizai Tong
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, P. R. China
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4
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Zhang X, Chen G, Zheng B, Wan Z, Liu L, Zhu L, Xie Y, Tong Z. Uniform Two-Dimensional Crystalline Platelets with Tailored Compositions for pH Stimulus-Responsive Drug Release. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1032-1041. [PMID: 36700709 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional, size-tunable, water-dispersible particle micelles with spatially defined chemistries can be obtained by using "living" crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) approach. Nevertheless, a major obstacle of crystalline particles in drug delivery application is the difficulty in accessing to cargo within crystalline cores. In the present work, we design four different types of biocompatible two-dimensional platelets with a crystalline poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) core, a hydrophobic poly(4-vinylprydine) (P4VP) segment, and a water dispersible poly(N,N-dimethyl acrylamide) (PDMA) block in ethanol by seeded growth method. Transferring those uniform platelets with tailored compositions to an aqueous solution in the presence of a hydrophobic drug leads to efficient encapsulation of the cargo in the P4VP segments via hydrophobic interactions. These drug-loaded platelets exhibit pH-responsive release behavior in aqueous media due to the protonated-deprotonated process of P4VP blocks in acidic and neutral solutions. This work provides initial insight into biocompatible PCL platelets with low dispersity and precise chemistry control in stimulus-responsive drug delivery fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Guanhao Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Bowen Zheng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Zhengwei Wan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Liping Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Lingyuan Zhu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Yujie Xie
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Zaizai Tong
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
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5
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Hübner H, Niebuur BJ, Büttner T, Koch M, Stühn B, Kraus T, Scheschkewitz D, Gallei M. Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Carbosilane-Based Block Copolymers in Organic Media and Structure Formation in Colloidal Confinement. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Hübner
- Chair in Polymer Chemistry, Universität des Saarlandes, Campus Saarbrücken, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Bart-Jan Niebuur
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Thomas Büttner
- Krupp-Chair of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Marcus Koch
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Bernd Stühn
- Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Hochschulstraße 8, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Tobias Kraus
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus D2 2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - David Scheschkewitz
- Krupp-Chair of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Markus Gallei
- Chair in Polymer Chemistry, Universität des Saarlandes, Campus Saarbrücken, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- Saarene, Saarland Center for Energy Materials and Sustainability, Campus C4 2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
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6
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Street STG, Chrenek J, Harniman RL, Letwin K, Mantell JM, Borucu U, Willerth SM, Manners I. Length-Controlled Nanofiber Micelleplexes as Efficient Nucleic Acid Delivery Vehicles. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:19799-19812. [PMID: 36260789 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c06695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Micelleplexes show great promise as effective polymeric delivery systems for nucleic acids. Although studies have shown that spherical micelleplexes can exhibit superior cellular transfection to polyplexes, to date there has been no report on the effects of micelleplex morphology on cellular transfection. In this work, we prepared precision, length-tunable poly(fluorenetrimethylenecarbonate)-b-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PFTMC16-b-PDMAEMA131) nanofiber micelleplexes and compared their properties and transfection activity to those of the equivalent nanosphere micelleplexes and polyplexes. We studied the DNA complexation process in detail via a range of techniques including cryo-transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and ζ-potential measurements, thereby examining how nanofiber micelleplexes form, as well the key differences that exist compared to nanosphere micelleplexes and polyplexes in terms of DNA loading and colloidal stability. The effects of particle morphology and nanofiber length on the transfection and cell viability of U-87 MG glioblastoma cells with a luciferase plasmid were explored, revealing that short nanofiber micelleplexes (length < ca. 100 nm) were the most effective delivery vehicle examined, outperforming nanosphere micelleplexes, polyplexes, and longer nanofiber micelleplexes as well as the Lipofectamine 2000 control. This study highlights the potential importance of 1D micelleplex morphologies for achieving optimal transfection activity and provides a fundamental platform for the future development of more effective polymeric nucleic acid delivery vehicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven T G Street
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, U.K.,Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3V6, Canada.,Centre for Advanced Materials and Related Technology (CAMTEC), University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC, V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Josie Chrenek
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.,School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | | | - Keiran Letwin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.,School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Judith M Mantell
- Wolfson Bioimaging Facility, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K
| | - Ufuk Borucu
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K.,GW4 Facility for High-Resolution Electron Cryo-Microscopy, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, U.K
| | - Stephanie M Willerth
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Related Technology (CAMTEC), University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC, V8P 5C2, Canada.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.,School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Ian Manners
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3V6, Canada.,Centre for Advanced Materials and Related Technology (CAMTEC), University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC, V8P 5C2, Canada
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7
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Zhang X, Chen G, Liu L, Zhu L, Tong Z. Precise Control of Two-Dimensional Platelet Micelles from Biodegradable Poly( p-dioxanone) Block Copolymers by Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Guanhao Chen
- College of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Liping Liu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Lingyuan Zhu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Zaizai Tong
- College of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
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8
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Fan X, Walther A. 1D Colloidal chains: recent progress from formation to emergent properties and applications. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:4023-4074. [PMID: 35502721 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00112h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Integrating nanoscale building blocks of low dimensionality (0D; i.e., spheres) into higher dimensional structures endows them and their corresponding materials with emergent properties non-existent or only weakly existent in the individual building blocks. Constructing 1D chains, 2D arrays and 3D superlattices using nanoparticles and colloids therefore continues to be one of the grand goals in colloid and nanomaterial science. Amongst these higher order structures, 1D colloidal chains are of particular interest, as they possess unique anisotropic properties. In recent years, the most relevant advances in 1D colloidal chain research have been made in novel synthetic methodologies and applications. In this review, we first address a comprehensive description of the research progress concerning various synthetic strategies developed to construct 1D colloidal chains. Following this, we highlight the amplified and emergent properties of the resulting materials, originating from the assembly of the individual building blocks and their collective behavior, and discuss relevant applications in advanced materials. In the discussion of synthetic strategies, properties, and applications, particular attention will be paid to overarching concepts, fresh trends, and potential areas of future research. We believe that this comprehensive review will be a driver to guide the interdisciplinary field of 1D colloidal chains, where nanomaterial synthesis, self-assembly, physical property studies, and material applications meet, to a higher level, and open up new research opportunities at the interface of classical disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinlong Fan
- Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 31, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Andreas Walther
- A3BMS Lab, Department of Chemistry, University of Mainz, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
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9
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Su Y, Jiang Y, Liu L, Xie Y, Chen S, Wang Y, O’Reilly RK, Tong Z. Hydrogen-Bond-Regulated Platelet Micelles by Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly and Templated Growth for Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Block Copolymers. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yawei Su
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
- Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Yikun Jiang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Liping Liu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
- Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Yujie Xie
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Shichang Chen
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Yongjun Wang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Rachel K. O’Reilly
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Zaizai Tong
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
- Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
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10
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Parkin H, Garcia-Hernandez JD, Street STG, Hof R, Manners I. Uniform, Length-Tunable Antibacterial 1D Diblock Copolymer Nanofibers. Polym Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2py00262k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The rapid increase in antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria has led to an urgent need to develop new methods of treating bacterial infections. Antibacterial polymeric nanoparticles are of interest for...
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11
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Garcia-Hernandez JD, Street STG, Kang Y, Zhang Y, Manners I. Cargo Encapsulation in Uniform, Length-Tunable Aqueous Nanofibers with a Coaxial Crystalline and Amorphous Core. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven T. G. Street
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Yuetong Kang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Yifan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Ian Manners
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3V6, Canada
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12
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Hils C, Manners I, Schöbel J, Schmalz H. Patchy Micelles with a Crystalline Core: Self-Assembly Concepts, Properties, and Applications. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:1481. [PMID: 34064413 PMCID: PMC8125556 DOI: 10.3390/polym13091481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) of block copolymers bearing one crystallizable block has emerged to be a powerful and highly relevant method for the production of one- and two-dimensional micellar assemblies with controlled length, shape, and corona chemistries. This gives access to a multitude of potential applications, from hierarchical self-assembly to complex superstructures, catalysis, sensing, nanomedicine, nanoelectronics, and surface functionalization. Related to these applications, patchy crystalline-core micelles, with their unique, nanometer-sized, alternating corona segmentation, are highly interesting, as this feature provides striking advantages concerning interfacial activity, functionalization, and confinement effects. Hence, this review aims to provide an overview of the current state of the art with respect to self-assembly concepts, properties, and applications of patchy micelles with crystalline cores formed by CDSA. We have also included a more general discussion on the CDSA process and highlight block-type co-micelles as a special type of patchy micelle, due to similarities of the corona structure if the size of the blocks is well below 100 nm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Hils
- Macromolecular Chemistry II, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany;
| | - Ian Manners
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada;
| | - Judith Schöbel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP, Geiselbergstraße 69, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Holger Schmalz
- Macromolecular Chemistry II, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany;
- Bavarian Polymer Institute (BPI), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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13
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MacFarlane L, Zhao C, Cai J, Qiu H, Manners I. Emerging applications for living crystallization-driven self-assembly. Chem Sci 2021; 12:4661-4682. [PMID: 34163727 PMCID: PMC8179577 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc06878k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of crystallization as a tool to control the self-assembly of polymeric and molecular amphiphiles in solution is attracting growing attention for the creation of non-spherical nanoparticles and more complex, hierarchical assemblies. In particular, the seeded growth method termed living crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) has been established as an ambient temperature and potentially scalable platform for the preparation of low dispersity samples of core-shell fiber-like or platelet micellar nanoparticles. Significantly, this method permits predictable control of size, and access to branched and segmented structures where functionality is spatially-defined. Living CDSA operates under kinetic control and shows many analogies with living chain-growth polymerizations of molecular organic monomers that afford well-defined covalent polymers of controlled length except that it covers a much longer length scale (ca. 20 nm to 10 μm). The method has been applied to a rapidly expanding range of crystallizable polymeric amphiphiles, which includes block copolymers and charge-capped homopolymers, to form assemblies with crystalline cores and solvated coronas. Living CDSA seeded growth methods have also been transposed to a wide variety of π-stacking and hydrogen-bonding molecular species that form supramolecular polymers in processes termed "living supramolecular polymerizations". In this article we outline the main features of the living CDSA method and then survey the promising emerging applications for the resulting nanoparticles in fields such as nanomedicine, colloid stabilization, catalysis, optoelectronics, information storage, and surface functionalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam MacFarlane
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - Chuanqi Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - Jiandong Cai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria British Columbia Canada
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Huibin Qiu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Ian Manners
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria British Columbia Canada
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