@article{BrosnanSchlaadAntonietti2015, author = {Brosnan, Sarah M. and Schlaad, Helmut and Antonietti, Markus}, title = {Aqueous Self-Assembly of Purely Hydrophilic Block Copolymers into Giant Vesicles}, series = {Angewandte Chemie : a journal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker ; International edition}, volume = {54}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie : a journal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker ; International edition}, number = {33}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201502100}, pages = {9715 -- 9718}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Self-assembly of macromolecules is fundamental to life itself, and historically, these systems have been primitively mimicked by the development of amphiphilic systems, driven by the hydrophobic effect. Herein, we demonstrate that self-assembly of purely hydrophilic systems can be readily achieved with similar ease and success. We have synthesized double hydrophilic block copolymers from polysaccharides and poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(sarcosine) to yield high molar mass diblock copolymers through oxime chemistry. These hydrophilic materials can easily assemble into nanosized (<500nm) and microsized (>5m) polymeric vesicles depending on concentration and diblock composition. Because of the solely hydrophilic nature of these materials, we expect them to be extraordinarily water permeable systems that would be well suited for use as cellular mimics.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Boerner2009, author = {B{\"o}rner, Hans Gerhard}, title = {Exploiting self-organization and functionality of peptides for polymer science}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-29066}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, year = {2009}, abstract = {Controlling interactions in synthetic polymers as precisely as in proteins would have a strong impact on polymer science. Advanced structural and functional control can lead to rational design of, integrated nano- and microstructures. To achieve this, properties of monomer sequence defined oligopeptides were exploited. Through their incorporation as monodisperse segments into synthetic polymers we learned in recent four years how to program the structure formation of polymers, to adjust and exploit interactions in such polymers, to control inorganic-organic interfaces in fiber composites and induce structure in Biomacromolecules like DNA for biomedical applications.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Franke2005, author = {Franke, Danielle}, title = {Novel surfactants for the production of functional nanostructured materials via the ionic self-assembly (ISA) route = Neuartige Tenside f{\"u}r die Synthese funktioneller nanostrukturierter Materialien durch ionische Selbsorganisation}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-6922}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, year = {2005}, abstract = {In recent years, the aim of supramolecular syntheses is not only the creation of particular structures but also the introduction of specific functions in these supramolecules. The present work describes the use of the ionic self-assembly (ISA) route to generate nanostructured materials with integrated functionality. Since the ISA strategy has proved to be a facile method for the production of liquid-crystalline materials, we investigated the phase behaviour, physical properties and function of a variety of ISA materials comprising a perylene derivative as the employed oligoelectrolyte. Functionality was introduced into the materials through the use of functional surfactants. In order to meet the requirements to produce functional ISA materials through the use of functional surfactants, we designed and synthesized pyrrole-derived monomers as surfactant building blocks. Owing to the presence of the pyrrole moiety, these surfactants are not only polymerizable but are also potentially conductive when polymerized. We adopted single-tailed and double-tailed N-substituted pyrrole monomers as target molecules. Since routine characterization analysis of the double-tailed pyrrole-containing surfactant indicated very interesting, complex phase behaviour, a comprehensive investigation of its interfacial properties and mesophase behavior was conducted. The synthesized pyrrole-derived surfactants were then employed in the synthesis of ISA complexes. The self-assembled materials were characterized and subsequently polymerized by both chemical and electrochemical methods. The changes in the structure and properties of the materials caused by the in-situ polymerization were addressed. In the second part of this work, the motif investigated was a property rather than a function. Since chiral superstructures have obtained much attention during the last few years, we investigated the possibility of chiral ISA materials through the use of chiral surfactants. Thus, the work involved synthesis of novel chiral surfactants and their incorporation in ISA materials with the aim of obtaining ionically self-assembled chiral superstructures. The results and insights presented here suggest that the presented synthesis strategy can be easily extended to incorporate any kind of charged tectonic unit with desired optical, electrical, or magnetic properties into supramolecular assemblies for practical applications.}, subject = {Nanotechnologie}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Heck2017, author = {Heck, Christian}, title = {Gold and silver nanolenses self-assembled by DNA origami}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-409002}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {ix, 125}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Nanolenses are linear chains of differently-sized metal nanoparticles, which can theoretically provide extremely high field enhancements. The complex structure renders their synthesis challenging and has hampered closer analyses so far. Here, the technique of DNA origami was used to self-assemble DNA-coated 10 nm, 20 nm, and 60 nm gold or silver nanoparticles into gold or silver nanolenses. Three different geometrical arrangements of gold nanolenses were assembled, and for each of the three, sets of single gold nanolenses were investigated in detail by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, dark-field scattering and Raman spectroscopy. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) capabilities of the single nanolenses were assessed by labelling the 10 nm gold nanoparticle selectively with dye molecules. The experimental data was complemented by finite-difference time-domain simulations. For those gold nanolenses which showed the strongest field enhancement, SERS signals from the two different internal gaps were compared by selectively placing probe dyes on the 20 nm or 60 nm gold particles. The highest enhancement was found for the gap between the 20 nm and 10 nm nanoparticle, which is indicative of a cascaded field enhancement. The protein streptavidin was labelled with alkyne groups and served as a biological model analyte, bound between the 20 nm and 10 nm particle of silver nanolenses. Thereby, a SERS signal from a single streptavidin could be detected. Background peaks observed in SERS measurements on single silver nanolenses could be attributed to amorphous carbon. It was shown that the amorphous carbon is generated in situ.}, language = {en} } @article{KapernaumLangeEbertetal.2022, author = {Kapernaum, Nadia and Lange, Alyna and Ebert, Max and Grunwald, Marco A. and H{\"a}ge, Christian and Marino, Sebastian and Zens, Anna and Taubert, Andreas and Gießelmann, Frank and Laschat, Sabine}, title = {Current topics in ionic liquid crystals}, series = {ChemPlusChem}, volume = {87}, journal = {ChemPlusChem}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {2192-6506}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.202100397}, pages = {38}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Ionic liquid crystals (ILCs), that is, ionic liquids exhibiting mesomorphism, liquid crystalline phases, and anisotropic properties, have received intense attention in the past years. Among others, this is due to their special properties arising from the combination of properties stemming from ionic liquids and from liquid crystalline arrangements. Besides interesting fundamental aspects, ILCs have been claimed to have tremendous application potential that again arises from the combination of properties and architectures that are not accessible otherwise, or at least not accessible easily by other strategies. The current review highlights recent developments in ILC research, starting with some key fundamental aspects. Further subjects covered include the synthesis and variations of modern ILCs, including the specific tuning of their mesomorphic behavior. The review concludes with reflections on some applications that may be within reach for ILCs and finally highlights a few key challenges that must be overcome prior and during true commercialization of ILCs.}, language = {en} } @article{KedrackiFilippovGouretal.2015, author = {Kedracki, Dawid and Filippov, Sergey K. and Gour, Nidhi and Schlaad, Helmut and Nardin, Corinne}, title = {Formation of DNA-Copolymer Fibrils Through an Amyloid-Like Nucleation Polymerization Mechanism}, series = {Macromolecular rapid communications}, volume = {36}, journal = {Macromolecular rapid communications}, number = {8}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1022-1336}, doi = {10.1002/marc.201400728}, pages = {768 -- 773}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Conjugation of a hydrophobic poly(2-oxazoline) bearing tertiary amide groups along its backbone with a short single stranded nucleotide sequence results in an amphiphilic comb/graft copolymer, which organizes in fibrils upon direct dissolution in water. Supported by circular dichroism, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scattering data, fibrils are formed through inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonding between hydrogen accepting amide groups along the polymer backbone and hydrogen donating nucleic acid grafts leading to the formation of hollow tubes.}, language = {en} } @article{KochovskiChenYuanetal.2020, author = {Kochovski, Zdravko and Chen, Guosong and Yuan, Jiayin and Lu, Yan}, title = {Cryo-Electron microscopy for the study of self-assembled poly(ionic liquid) nanoparticles and protein supramolecular structures}, series = {Colloid and polymer science : official journal of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft}, volume = {298}, journal = {Colloid and polymer science : official journal of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft}, number = {7}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0303-402X}, doi = {10.1007/s00396-020-04657-w}, pages = {707 -- 717}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a powerful structure determination technique that is well-suited to the study of protein and polymer self-assembly in solution. In contrast to conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation, which often times involves drying and staining, the frozen-hydrated sample preparation allows the specimens to be kept and imaged in a state closest to their native one. Here, we give a short overview of the basic principles of Cryo-EM and review our results on applying it to the study of different protein and polymer self-assembled nanostructures. More specifically, we show how we have applied cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to visualize the internal morphology of self-assembled poly(ionic liquid) nanoparticles and cryo-EM single particle analysis (SPA) to determine the three-dimensional (3D) structures of artificial protein microtubules.}, language = {en} } @article{LangeWagnerZentel2006, author = {Lange, Birger and Wagner, J{\"u}rgen and Zentel, Rudolf}, title = {Fabrication of robust high-quality ORMOCER (R) inverse opals}, series = {Macromolecular rapid communications}, volume = {27}, journal = {Macromolecular rapid communications}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1022-1336}, doi = {10.1002/marc.200600429}, pages = {1746 -- 1751}, year = {2006}, abstract = {The nanostructuring of ORMOCER (R) to form inverse opals is described. For this purpose a polymer opal is used as a template and infiltrated with liquid ORMOCER (R). After photopolymerization of the resin the host opal is dissolved in tetrahydrofuran and an ORMOCER (R) inverse opal is obtained. It shows excellent periodicity (by SEM) and optical properties to reveal a high degree of face centered cubic order. This replication process leads to a nanostructured photonic crystal with the outstanding mechanical properties of ORMOCER (R) and high temperature stability up to 350 degrees C.}, language = {en} } @article{MehrGrigorievHeatonetal.2020, author = {Mehr, Fatemeh Naderi and Grigoriev, Dmitry and Heaton, Rebecca and Baptiste, Joshua and Stace, Anthony J. and Puretskiy, Nikolay and Besley, Elena and B{\"o}ker, Alexander}, title = {Self-assembly behavior of oppositely charged inverse bipatchy microcolloids}, series = {Small : nano micro}, volume = {16}, journal = {Small : nano micro}, number = {14}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.202000442}, pages = {9}, year = {2020}, abstract = {A directed attractive interaction between predefined "patchy" sites on the surfaces of anisotropic microcolloids can provide them with the ability to self-assemble in a controlled manner to build target structures of increased complexity. An important step toward the controlled formation of a desired superstructure is to identify reversible electrostatic interactions between patches which allow them to align with one another. The formation of bipatchy particles with two oppositely charged patches fabricated using sandwich microcontact printing is reported. These particles spontaneously self-aggregate in solution, where a diversity of short and long chains of bipatchy particles with different shapes, such as branched, bent, and linear, are formed. Calculations show that chain formation is driven by a combination of attractive electrostatic interactions between oppositely charged patches and the charge-induced polarization of interacting particles.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Miasnikova2012, author = {Miasnikova, Anna}, title = {New hydrogel forming thermo-responsive block copolymers of increasing structural complexity}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-59953}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, year = {2012}, abstract = {This work describes the synthesis and characterization of stimuli-responsive polymers made by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and the investigation of their self-assembly into "smart" hydrogels. In particular the hydrogels were designed to swell at low temperature and could be reversibly switched to a collapsed hydrophobic state by rising the temperature. Starting from two constituents, a short permanently hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) block and a thermo-responsive poly(methoxy diethylene glycol acrylate) (PMDEGA) block, various gelation behaviors and switching temperatures were achieved. New RAFT agents bearing tert-butyl benzoate or benzoic acid groups, were developed for the synthesis of diblock, symmetrical triblock and 3-arm star block copolymers. Thus, specific end groups were attached to the polymers that facilitate efficient macromolecular characterization, e.g by routine 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Further, the carboxyl end-groups allowed functionalizing the various polymers by a fluorophore. Because reports on PMDEGA have been extremely rare, at first, the thermo-responsive behavior of the polymer was investigated and the influence of factors such as molar mass, nature of the end-groups, and architecture, was studied. The use of special RAFT agents enabled the design of polymer with specific hydrophobic and hydrophilic end-groups. Cloud points (CP) of the polymers proved to be sensitive to all molecular variables studied, namely molar mass, nature and number of the end-groups, up to relatively high molar masses. Thus, by changing molecular parameters, CPs of the PMDEGA could be easily adjusted within the physiological interesting range of 20 to 40°C. A second responsivity, namely to light, was added to the PMDEGA system via random copolymerization of MDEGA with a specifically designed photo-switchable azobenzene acrylate. The composition of the copolymers was varied in order to determine the optimal conditions for an isothermal cloud point variation triggered by light. Though reversible light-induced solubility changes were achieved, the differences between the cloud points before and after the irradiation were small. Remarkably, the response to light differed from common observations for azobenzene-based systems, as CPs decreased after UV-irradiation, i.e with increasing content of cis-azobenzene units. The viscosifying and gelling abilities of the various block copolymers made from PS and PMDEGA blocks were studied by rheology. Important differences were observed between diblock copolymers, containing one hydrophobic PS block only, the telechelic symmetrical triblock copolymers made of two associating PS termini, and the star block copolymers having three associating end blocks. Regardless of their hydrophilic block length, diblock copolymers PS11 PMDEGAn were freely flowing even at concentrations as high as 40 wt. \%. In contrast, all studied symmetrical triblock copolymers PS8-PMDEGAn-PS8 formed gels at low temperatures and at concentrations as low as 3.5 wt. \% at best. When heated, these gels underwent a gel-sol transition at intermediate temperatures, well below the cloud point where phase separation occurs. The gel-sol transition shifted to markedly higher transition temperatures with increasing length of the hydrophilic inner block. This effect increased also with the number of arms, and with the length of the hydrophobic end blocks. The mechanical properties of the gels were significantly altered at the cloud point and liquid-like dispersions were formed. These could be reversibly transformed into hydrogels by cooling. This thesis demonstrates that high molar mass PMDEGA is an easily accessible, presumably also biocompatible and at ambient temperature well water-soluble, non-ionic thermo-responsive polymer. PMDEGA can be easily molecularly engineered via the RAFT method, implementing defined end-groups, and producing different, also complex, architectures, such as amphiphilic triblock and star block copolymers, having an analogous structure to associative telechelics. With appropriate design, such amphiphilic copolymers give way to efficient, "smart" viscosifiers and gelators displaying tunable gelling and mechanical properties.}, language = {en} }