Getting into Shape: Reflections on a New Generation of Cylindrical Nanostructures' Self-Assembly Using Polymer Building Blocks

Overview

Journal J Am Chem Soc

Publisher American Chemical Society

Specialty Chemistry

Date 2019 Jan 29

PMID 30689954

Citations 22

Authors

Jeffrey C Foster

Spyridon Varlas

Benoit Couturaud

Zachary Coe

Rachel K OReilly

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Cylinders are fascinating structures with uniquely high surface area, internal volume, and rigidity. On the nanoscale, a broad range of applications have demonstrated advantageous behavior of cylindrical micelles or bottlebrush polymers over traditional spherical nano-objects. In the past, obtaining pure samples of cylindrical nanostructures using polymer building blocks via conventional self-assembly strategies was challenging. However, in recent years, the development of advanced methods including polymerization-induced self-assembly, crystallization-driven self-assembly, and bottlebrush polymer synthesis has facilitated the easy synthesis of cylindrical nano-objects at industrially relevant scales. In this Perspective, we discuss these techniques in detail, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy and considering how the cylindrical nanostructures that are obtained differ in their chemical structure, physical properties, colloidal stability, and reactivity. In addition, we propose future challenges to address in this rapidly expanding field.

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