Polymer cyclization for the emergence of hierarchical nanostructures

Chaojian Chen, Manjesh Kumar Singh, Katrin Wunderlich, Sean Harvey, Colette J. Whitfield, Zhixuan Zhou, Manfred Wagner, Katharina Landfester, Ingo Lieberwirth, George Fytas, Kurt Kremer, Debashish Mukherji, David Y. W. Ng () and Tanja Weil ()
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Chaojian Chen: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Manjesh Kumar Singh: Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Katrin Wunderlich: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Sean Harvey: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Colette J. Whitfield: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Zhixuan Zhou: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Manfred Wagner: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Katharina Landfester: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Ingo Lieberwirth: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
George Fytas: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Kurt Kremer: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Debashish Mukherji: Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia
David Y. W. Ng: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Tanja Weil: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract The creation of synthetic polymer nanoobjects with well-defined hierarchical structures is important for a wide range of applications such as nanomaterial synthesis, catalysis, and therapeutics. Inspired by the programmability and precise three-dimensional architectures of biomolecules, here we demonstrate the strategy of fabricating controlled hierarchical structures through self-assembly of folded synthetic polymers. Linear poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) of different lengths are folded into cyclic polymers and their self-assembly into hierarchical structures is elucidated by various experimental techniques and molecular dynamics simulations. Based on their structural similarity, macrocyclic brush polymers with amphiphilic block side chains are synthesized, which can self-assemble into wormlike and higher-ordered structures. Our work points out the vital role of polymer folding in macromolecular self-assembly and establishes a versatile approach for constructing biomimetic hierarchical assemblies.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24222-5

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