Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tengfei Wang, Cecilia Menard-Moyon, Alberto Bianco
Summary: Amino acid derivatives with amphiphilic properties have been extensively studied for their self-assembly into various nanostructures, making them suitable for biomedical applications due to their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Zhiliang Li, Duyen K. Tran, Mary Nguyen, Tengyue Jian, Feng Yan, Samson A. Jenekhe, Chun-Long Chen
Summary: This study presents the synthesis of a novel amphiphilic diblock peptoid with a terminal conjugated oligoaniline, which self-assembles into highly crystalline nanotubes with excellent stability and conductivity. The ordered structure directed by the peptoid allows for efficient electrical transport, showcasing a promising strategy for creating complex nanostructures with useful electronic and optoelectronic properties.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Raquel Lopez-Rios de Castro, Robert M. Ziolek, Christian D. Lorenz
Summary: In this study, the influence of polymer topology on self-assembly and stability of nanoparticles in micelles was investigated using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that topology affects the ability of micelles to form a compact hydrophobic core and the conformational response of polymer molecules to the local environment.
Article
Polymer Science
Zhenghui Liu, Yuan Yao, Xinfeng Tao, Jie Wei, Shaoliang Lin
Summary: Imposing chirality to supramolecular architectures is crucial for understanding and utilizing chiral nanomaterials. The self-assembly of amphiphilic chiral copolymers into helical supramolecular rods is achieved through intrachain stacking of chiral units along the main chain. The reversible supramolecular self-assembly retains sublevel chirality even when the helical appearance is destroyed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shu-ping Wang, Xuechun Huang, Yunhong He, Haotian Zhang, Jun Zhou, Guping Tang, Shijun Li, Hongzhen Bai
Summary: The development of intelligent nano-platforms with high tumor-targeting capability, enhanced solubility, and efficacious photochemotherapy is urgently demanded for clinical anticancer treatments. In this study, an amphiphilic porphyrin (P) was used to complex with camptothecin (CPT) to form supra-amphiphile-assembled nanoparticles (CPT@P). The resulting CPT@PM, with cancer cell membrane (M) camouflage, showed excellent stability, homologous targeting ability, and specific co-delivering of the chemotherapeutic drug and photosensitizer to tumor cells. This research provides a promising nanoplatform for cancer therapy by utilizing the unique structure and intrinsic performance of porphyrin photosensitizers and membrane-coating technology.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Rong Zhang, Yong Chen, Lei Chen, Yi Zhang, Yu Liu
Summary: Photoacid sulfonato-merocyanine (MEH) is added to a mixed solution of amphiphilic calix[4]arene (SC4A8) and tetra-(4-pyridylphenyl) ethylene (TPE-4Py), resulting in in situ supramolecular self-assembly or disassembly and regulation of two types of fluorescence emission. Under 420 nm irradiation, MEH releases protons and becomes a ring-closed isomer spiropyran (SP), which protonates TPE-4Py and assembles with SC4A8 to form a supramolecular assembly with yellow fluorescence at 540 nm through electrostatic interactions. In the dark, SP changes to ring-opened MEH, leading to a spontaneous disassembly accompanied by fluorescence emission at 495 nm. A photo-activated reversible in situ supramolecular system is successfully obtained. Furthermore, Rhodamine B (RhB) is doped as an energy acceptor in the ternary supramolecular assembly, allowing efficient energy transfer through light irradiation.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiamin Zhang, Jinhui Jiang, Sha Lin, Erik Jan Cornel, Chang Li, Jianzhong Du
Summary: This article introduces the importance of polymersomes in biomedical applications and research progress in macromolecular self-assembly, including polymersomes with different membrane structures and self-assembly methods based on NCA-PISA. These studies help address the biodegradability issue of nanoparticles and explore higher-order polymersome research.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Alexander Banger, Julian Sindram, Marius Otten, Jessica Kania, Dimitri Wilms, Alexander Strzelczyk, Sean Miletic, Thomas C. Marlovits, Matthias Karg, Laura Hartmann
Summary: In this study, amphiphilic glycomacromolecules (APGs) were synthesized using solid-phase polymer synthesis, allowing for precise control over the composition and structure. The self-assembly behavior of APGs was characterized using spectroscopic and scattering techniques, revealing structural dependencies and the potential for applications in inhibiting bacterial adhesion. The polymerizable units within the APGs also enabled the fixation of self-assembled structures, further enhancing their biomedical application potential.
Article
Polymer Science
Thomas Babut, Mona Semsarilar, Marc Rolland, Damien Quemener
Summary: In this study, a waterborne approach was proposed to co-assemble peptide amphiphiles (PA) and polyelectrolytes into porous membranes with nanostructured networks. Various production methods were explored to shape the material and optimize the structure, leading to a membrane material in the ultrafiltration range with a pore radius of about 7.6 nm.
Article
Polymer Science
Hiroyuki Kono, Masayuki Hibino, Daichi Ida, Makoto Ouchi, Takaya Terashima
Summary: In this study, precision self-assembly of amphiphilic alternating copolymers into monodisperse micelles via chain folding in water is achieved. Depending on the degree of polymerization (DP), the copolymers can self-assemble into unimer and multichain micelles, with the aggregation number of the micelles controlled by tuning DP. The alternating copolymer micelle has a narrower size distribution compared to a corresponding random copolymer micelle due to its uniform composition and monomer sequence. Furthermore, the alternating copolymer micelle exhibits a sharp and reversible lower critical solution temperature-type thermoresponsive solubility in water.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Amrita Sikder, Saptarshi Chakraborty, Priya Rajdev, Pradip Dey, Suhrit Ghosh
Summary: Bioinspired self-assembly using amphiphiles with hydrophobic supramolecular-structure-directing-units has led to the creation of highly stable nanostructures, which are fundamentally different from traditional amphiphiles. The supramolecular assembly is primarily controlled by the specific molecular-recognition motif of the SSDU, enabling precise regulation of internal order and morphology. Additionally, SSDU-derived pi-amphiphiles have shown promise in producing temperature and redox-responsive supramolecular polymers with efficient functional group display and biological activity.
ACCOUNTS OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Vahid Jabbari, Abhijit H. Phakatkar, Azadeh Amiri, Alireza Ghorbani, Reza Shahbazian-Yassar
Summary: The ability to control the structure and properties of molecular self-assemblies is essential for customizing their functionality. However, the mechanisms behind the evolution from molecules to self-assembled structures remain unresolved. In this study, graphene liquid cell transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the formation and evolution of nanoscale polymer micelles during polymerization-induced self-assembly. The proposed spinodal decomposing mechanism provides new insights into understanding the complex process of self-assembly in amphiphilic molecules.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ankur Patel, Debes Ray, Paresh Parekh, Ketan Kuperkar, Bhavesh Bharatiya, Vinod K. Aswal, Pratap Bahadur, Vijay I. Patel
Summary: This study investigates the changes in the aggregation characteristics of Tetronics (R) T1304 and T1307, ethylene oxide-propylene oxide (EO-PO)-based star block copolymers, induced by an amphiphilic diol Surfynol (R) 104 (C14 diol) using scattering techniques and physical property measurements. The hydrophobic interaction between C14 diol and copolymer micelles leads to dehydration, resulting in a decrease in cloud point and an increase in solution viscosity. The growth of micelles is observed, accompanied by a transition from spherical to unilamellar vesicles. The study provides a clear understanding of the correlation between the molecular orbital energy levels of Tetronics (R) and C14 diol.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jie Xu, Changzhu Lv, Qiangqiang Shi, Jialin Zhang, Ning Wang, Guoying Zhang, Jinming Hu, Shiyong Liu
Summary: Discrete polymers are a valuable tool for studying chain structure, self-assembly behavior, and functional applications. However, the development of discrete polymers with self-immolative properties is limited. In this study, we synthesized a library of self-immolative oligourethanes through stepwise growth, which exhibited cascade depolymerization and selective cleavage properties. These oligourethanes also displayed different morphologies and morphological transitions in aqueous media and upon thermal annealing.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Derong Lu, Shuai Hou, Sheng Liu, Qirong Xiong, Yonghao Chen, Hongwei Duan
Summary: We report the self-assembly of polymer-coated magnetoplasmonic Janus nanoparticles driven by amphiphilicity, which results in well-defined colloidal ensembles with controllable size, morphology, and dimension. By coating pH-responsive block copolymer and hydrophilic polymers on plasmonic and magnetic sides of the nanoparticles, respectively, we can achieve a direct correlation between the amphiphilicity of the building blocks and the structural parameters of the ensembles. This study provides insight into the self-assembly of functional nanocrystals and offers possibilities for tuning interparticle distance and studying metal-fluorophore interaction.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yan Lei, Jie Luo, Xiaogang Yang, Tuo Cai, Ruijuan Qi, Longyan Gu, Zhi Zheng
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qi Liu, Yan Lei, Ruijuan Qi, Xiaogang Yang, Longyan Gu, Lu Chen, Qingbo Meng, Zhi Zheng
Summary: The study introduced a novel method for preparing highly crystalline copper-containing perovskite films, which showed significantly improved photovoltaic performance and excellent structural stability.
CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Cao Chen, Jundie Hu, Xiaogang Yang, Tingyu Yang, Jiafu Qu, Chunxian Guo, Chang Ming Li
Summary: An ambient-stable and effective 2D/2D heterostructure of BP/bismuth tungstate (Bi2WO6) with oxygen vacancy is designed for syngas production via photocatalytic CO2 reduction, resolving the stability problem of BP nanosheets and greatly improving charge transfer efficiency. This work achieves high generation rates of CO and H2, along with desirable CO/H2 ratios for industrial applications, making it an efficient and ambient-stable BP-based photocatalyst for syngas production by CO2 reduction at mild conditions.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Pengye Zhang, Jundie Hu, Yangbin Shen, Xiaogang Yang, Jiafu Qu, Feng Du, Wei Sun, Chang Ming Li
Summary: By combining light with enzymes, a metal-free heterojunction of pyromellitic diimide/g-C3N4 (PDI/CN) with excellent visible light response was fabricated for efficient conversion of CO2 to formic acid. The unique photoenzymatic catalytic cascade system and heterointerface effect of PDI/CN contributed to the high selectivity and yield achieved. This work provides an efficient strategy and photocatalyst for the directional conversion of CO2 to formic acid.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xinwei Wang, Jundie Hu, Jiafu Qu, Guangming Cao, Jiaqi Jin, Xiaogang Yang
Summary: This study introduces a new reaction model to quantitatively analyze surface charge reactions, successfully demonstrating changes in charge reaction rates and aiding further research into the mechanism of photosynthesis.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jundie Hu, Tingyu Yang, Xiaogang Yang, Jiafu Qu, Yahui Cai, Chang Ming Li
Summary: The article introduces an environmentally stable Co2P@BP/g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalyst that can selectively and efficiently reduce CO2 to CO, with good ambient stability. The outstanding performance of this photocatalyst is mainly attributed to its lower energy barriers and rapid charge transfer at the heterointerfaces.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xue Li, Jundie Hu, Tingyu Yang, Xiaogang Yang, Jiafu Qu, Chang Ming Li
Summary: This study presents an exquisitely designed LaVO4/CN heterostructure for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production and high-value chemical synthesis. By substituting traditional sacrificial agents with biomass furfuryl alcohol, the LaVO4/CN heterojunction achieves significantly increased hydrogen evolution and furfural production rates, providing a new strategy for sustainable energy conversion and value-added chemical production.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiaogang Yang, Zhi Zheng, Jundie Hu, Jiafu Qu, Dekun Ma, Jingsha Li, Chunxian Guo, Chang Ming
Summary: This study identified the fourth-order charge decay reactions on hematite and demonstrated a theoretical turnover frequency (TOF) > 100 nm(-2).s(-1) for O-2 molecules when the hole density >0.1 nm(-2). This research provides a facile and robust method to investigate high-order reaction kinetics and establishes a connection between the rate-law, rate-determining step, and energy barrier of intermediates.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jiaqi Jin, Jundie Hu, Jiafu Qu, Guangming Cao, Yan Lei, Zhi Zheng, Xiaogang Yang, Chang Ming Li
Summary: In this study, we investigate the charge transfer reaction rate during CO2 reduction on CuBi2O4 catalysts via surface modification. We find that the surface amine group enhances the charge separation rate, while surface acidity has a lesser influence. The intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy analysis indicates that APTES-coated CuBi2O4 exhibits higher charge transfer and recombination rates. Designing more effective nanostructured photoelectrodes is essential to increase the charge separation and transfer rate while reducing recombination under photoelectrochemical cell conditions.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuanyuan Shao, Jundie Hu, Tingyu Yang, Xiaogang Yang, Jiafu Qu, Qi Xu, Chang Ming Li
Summary: We report a superior carbon-related ZnIn2S4/g-C3N4 catalyst with excellent H2O2 generation and consumption capabilities for efficient sterilization under visible light irradiation. The 2D/2D heterojunction of ZnIn2S4/g-C3N4 exhibits a remarkable H2O2 yield of 4.27 mmol g(-1), which is much higher than that of current catalysts. The in-situ produced H2O2 can be quickly activated to strong oxidizing hydroxyl radicals for sterilization, achieving complete clearance of Escherichia coli (E. coli) within 25 min and 98% killing of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) after 60 min irradiation. The prepared photocatalysts enable rapid production and consumption of H2O2, providing an effective green strategy for sterilization via in-situ generated H2O2.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Guangming Cao, Jundie Hu, Jiafu Qu, Jiaqi Jin, Xiaogang Yang
Summary: This study elucidates the rate-law relationship of multiple-charge reactions using microkinetics calculation and steady-state approximation, exploring the charge transfer process in multiple-step reactions.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jiafu Qu, Xiaogang Yang, Chunxian Guo, Yahui Cai, Zuoxi Li, Jundie Hu, Chang Ming Li
Summary: A Z-scheme BiVO4/NiCo2O4 heterojunction system was designed in this study, which reduced the energy barrier and improved the oxidation ability of BiVO4, leading to efficient separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers. The photocatalyst exhibited excellent O-2 evolution performance and improved efficiency compared to pristine BiVO4, showing great potential for efficient photocatalytic O-2 evolution and providing fundamental insights for the design of efficient water oxidation heterojunctions.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhiyuan Deng, Yinying Shu, Meiying Gong, Jundie Hu, Jiafu Qu, Xiaogang Yang
Summary: The slow charge reactions at the semiconductor surface hinder the photocatalysis applications. A numerical calculation model is developed to study the microkinetics of charge reactions and its influence on the apparent reaction kinetics. The study reveals that the rate constant of charge separation and reaction significantly affects the reaction kinetics.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jiawei Chen, Wei Gao, Yuchen Lu, Fangshou Ye, Shiwen Huang, Yiyuan Peng, Xiaogang Yang, Yahui Cai, Jiafu Qu, Jundie Hu
Summary: The focus of this study is on-site small-scale production and sustainable consumption of H2O2, which can be achieved through photocatalysis technology using gC3N4 as a catalyst. The high number of defects in the g-C3N4 nanostructure significantly inhibit its catalytic activity, acting as recombination centers for photo-generated carriers. An anti-defect engineering strategy is proposed to tailor a highly crystalline g-C3N4 nanostructure for efficient photocatalytic H2O2 production and wastewater remediation.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fengyi Yang, Jiafu Qu, Yang Zheng, Yahui Cai, Xiaogang Yang, Chang Ming Li, Jundie Hu
Summary: High-crystalline organic polymeric materials show potential to enhance photocatalytic performance by reducing defects, enhancing built-in electric field, reducing interlayer hydrogen bonding, and regulating crystal planes. Various synthesis and modification strategies are discussed to improve their catalytic activities in photocatalytic CO2 conversion.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yiping Yin, Zhe Wang, Hua Zou
Summary: This study presents a novel method for preparing dimpled polymer-silica nanocomposite particles using interfacial swelling-based seeded polymerization. The optimized conditions allow for a relatively high percentage of dimpled particles to be achieved.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Brenden D. Hoehn, Elizabeth A. Kellstedt, Marc A. Hillmyer
Summary: Porous materials with nanometer-scale pores have important applications as nanoporous membranes. In this study, ABA triblock copolymers were used as precursors to produce nanoporous polymeric membranes (NPMs) in thin film form by degrading the end blocks. Polycyclooctene (PCOE) NPMs with tunable pore sizes were successfully prepared using solvent casting technique. Oxygen plasma etching was employed to improve the surface porosity and hydrophilicity of the membranes. This study provides a straightforward method to produce tough NPMs with high porosity and hydrophilic surface properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vladislav S. Petrovskii, Stepan I. Zholudev, Igor I. Potemkin
Summary: This article investigates the behavior of linear and ring polypeptide chains in aqueous solution and explores the properties of the complexes formed by these chains with oppositely charged surfactants. The results demonstrate that the complexes of linear supercharged unfolded polypeptides and the corresponding surfactants exhibit impressive adhesive properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Merve Cevik, Serkan Dikici
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death globally, and vascular grafts are a promising treatment option. This study focuses on tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) using decellularized parsley stems as a potential biomaterial. The decellularized parsley stems showed suitable properties for TEVGs, providing a suitable environment for human endothelial cells to form a pseudo endothelium. This study showcases the potential of using parsley stems for TEVGs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gustavo A. Vasquez-Montoya, Tadej Emersic, Noe Atzin, Antonio Tavera-Vazquez, Ali Mozaffari, Rui Zhang, Orlando Guzman, Alexey Snezhko, Paul F. Nealey, Juan J. de Pablo
Summary: The optical properties of liquid crystals are typically controlled by electric fields. In this study, we investigate the effects of microfluidic flows and acoustic fields on the molecular orientation and optical response of nematic liquid crystals. We identify several previously unknown structures and explain them through calculations and simulations. These findings hold promise for the development of new systems combining sound, flow, and confinement.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xinjun Wu, Xin Guan, Shushu Chen, Jiangpeng Jia, Chongyi Chen, Jiawei Zhang, Chuanzhuang Zhao
Summary: This research presents a novel shape memory hydrogel with a remodelable permanent shape and programmable cold-induced shape recovery behavior. The hydrogel is prepared using specific treatment methods to achieve shape fixation by heating and shape recovery by cooling. Additionally, deformable devices can be obtained by assembling hydrogel blocks with different concentrations.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rebecca Hengsbach, Gerhard Fink, Ulrich Simon
Summary: This study examines the properties of DNA functionalized pNipmam microgels and pure pNipmam microgels at different concentrations of sodium chloride and in PBS solutions using temperature dependent H-1-NMR measurements. The results show that DNA modification affects the volume phase transition temperature and the addition of salt and PBS further enhances this effect.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ningyi Li, Junhong Li, Lijingting Qing, Shicheng Ma, Yao Li, Baohui Li
Summary: This paper investigates the self-assembly behavior of colloids with competing interactions under spherical confinement and finds that different ordered structures can be formed under different sized spherical confinements. Moreover, more perforated structures are formed in smaller spheres.
