TY - JOUR
T1 - Controlling the Hierarchical Assembly of π-Conjugated Oligoelectrolytes
AU - Zheng, Tingting
AU - Feng, Huanhuan
AU - van den Broek, Johanna M.
AU - Rahimi, Khosrow
AU - Kuehne, Alexander J.C.
AU - de Vries, Renko
AU - Sprakel, Joris
PY - 2018/8
Y1 - 2018/8
N2 - Here, a means of controlling the assembly pathways of p-conjugated oligoelectrolytes into supramolecular fibers and microtubes is presented, and it is shown how the addition of small end-caps to well-defined and pH-responsive conjugated oligomers can alter the balance between repulsive and attractive supramolecular forces and enables control of the morphology of the hierarchical assembly process. The assembly stages from nuclei to protofibers are evidenced and a hypothesis on the mechanism of microtubes formation using a combination of analytical methods is provided, revealing different degrees of order at different scales along the structural hierarchy.
AB - Here, a means of controlling the assembly pathways of p-conjugated oligoelectrolytes into supramolecular fibers and microtubes is presented, and it is shown how the addition of small end-caps to well-defined and pH-responsive conjugated oligomers can alter the balance between repulsive and attractive supramolecular forces and enables control of the morphology of the hierarchical assembly process. The assembly stages from nuclei to protofibers are evidenced and a hypothesis on the mechanism of microtubes formation using a combination of analytical methods is provided, revealing different degrees of order at different scales along the structural hierarchy.
KW - conjugated polyelectrolytes
KW - hierarchical materials
KW - pathway control
KW - self-assembly
U2 - 10.1002/marc.201800284
DO - 10.1002/marc.201800284
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85050478750
SN - 1022-1336
VL - 39
JO - Macromolecular Rapid Communications
JF - Macromolecular Rapid Communications
IS - 16
M1 - 1800284
ER -