POM–Organic–POSS Cocluster: Creating A Dumbbell-Shaped Hybrid Molecule for Programming Hierarchical Supramolecular Nanostructures

• Published in: Langmuir Vol. 29; no. 19; pp. 5714 - 5722
• Main Authors: Hu, Min-Biao, Hou, Zhan-Yao, Hao, Wei-Qiong, Xiao, Yu, Yu, Wei, Ma, Chi, Ren, Li-Jun, Zheng, Ping, Wang, Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 14-05-2013
• Subjects: Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Macromolecular Substances - chemical synthesis; Macromolecular Substances - chemistry; Models, Molecular; Molecular Structure; Nanostructures - chemistry; Organosilicon Compounds - chemical synthesis; Organosilicon Compounds - chemistry; Particle Size; Surface Properties; Tungsten Compounds - chemistry; Silsesquioxane polymer; Supramolecular structure; Nanostructure
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/la400802p

We report the construction of dumbbell-shaped hybrid molecules for programming their hierarchical supramolecular nanostructures through a synergetic self-assembly. Our first dumbbell-shaped hybrid molecule is a POM–organic–POSS cocluster produced by covalently coupling a POM cluster and a POSS cluster together through an organic tether. Structural analyses demonstrated a highly ordered lamellar morphology with a 4.9 nm periodicity, indicating a strong thermodynamic force driving a nanoscale phase separation of the POM and POSS blocks. The POM clusters were arranged in an orderly fashion within the POM-containing layer with a 1.38 nm periodicity because of fixed shape and size of the cluster. This investigation provides in-depth understanding of how to construct hierarchical supramolecular nanostructures at a nanoscale less than 5 nm by manipulating and controlling the topological shape of hybrid molecules.