The research work conducted by the research group on the regulation of dynamic self-assembly processes in supramolecular hyperbranched polymers has been published as a back cover feature in Polymer Chemistry
The use of macromonomer approach shows potential advantages in constructing functional supramolecular hyperbranched polymers. However, traditional AB2-type macromonomers face limitations in controlling the dynamic assembly processes of supramolecular hyperbranched polymers due to the restricted number of reactive groups and weak non-covalent interactions. In this study, a novel ABx-type (x > 2) amphiphilic macromonomer was synthesized to fabricate high molecular weight supramolecular hyperbranched polymers. The self-assembly morphology, size, and dynamic formation process of the polymers were effectively regulated. The synthesized supramolecular hyperbranched polymer precursors, when dissolved in 0.5 mol/L NaCl solution, formed elliptical unimolecular micelles with a diameter of around 10 nm. However, upon removal of NaCl through dialysis, these unimolecular micelles further self-assembled into branched structures in pure water. Moreover, compared to the branched structures formed by self-assembly, the unimolecular micelles based on supramolecular hyperbranched polymers exhibited higher sensitivity for detecting molecules such as sodium ascorbate. These results demonstrate that employing ABx-type amphiphilic macromonomers for constructing supramolecular hyperbranched polymers presents a new approach for in-depth exploration of the structure-assembly relationship and regulation of their functionality.
The related research work has been published online in Polymer Chemistry (2017, 8, 1306-1314) and selected as a Back Cover feature article. (Full article link: http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2017/PY/C6PY02215D#!divAbstract)
