Non-equilibrium dissipative supramolecular materials with a tunable lifetime

Marta Tena-Solsona, Benedikt Rieß, Raphael K. Grötsch, Franziska C. Löhrer, Caren Wanzke, Benjamin Käsdorf, Andreas R. Bausch, Peter Müller-Buschbaum, Oliver Lieleg and Job Boekhoven ()
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Marta Tena-Solsona: Technische Universität München
Benedikt Rieß: Technische Universität München
Raphael K. Grötsch: Technische Universität München
Franziska C. Löhrer: Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, Technische Universität München
Caren Wanzke: Technische Universität München
Benjamin Käsdorf: Technische Universität München
Andreas R. Bausch: Lehrstuhl für Biophysik E27, Technische Universität München
Peter Müller-Buschbaum: Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, Technische Universität München
Oliver Lieleg: Technische Universität München
Job Boekhoven: Technische Universität München

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Many biological materials exist in non-equilibrium states driven by the irreversible consumption of high-energy molecules like ATP or GTP. These energy-dissipating structures are governed by kinetics and are thus endowed with unique properties including spatiotemporal control over their presence. Here we show man-made equivalents of materials driven by the consumption of high-energy molecules and explore their unique properties. A chemical reaction network converts dicarboxylates into metastable anhydrides driven by the irreversible consumption of carbodiimide fuels. The anhydrides hydrolyse rapidly to the original dicarboxylates and are designed to assemble into hydrophobic colloids, hydrogels or inks. The spatiotemporal control over the formation and degradation of materials allows for the development of colloids that release hydrophobic contents in a predictable fashion, temporary self-erasing inks and transient hydrogels. Moreover, we show that each material can be re-used for several cycles.

Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15895

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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15895

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