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The synthesis of ultrafine gold nanoparticles in presence of maltose-modified hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimines) (PEI) is described. The polymer acted as both a reducing and stabilising agent in the particle formation process. The nanoparticles were characterized by means of dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The mechanism of nanoparticle formation can be described in two steps. The reduction process of the Au3+ ions located in the inner coil region of the hyperbranched PEI led to the formation of a compact gold core, and is accompanied by a collapse of the polymer coil. Therefore, in the subsequent reduction process a gold-polymer hybrid shell is formed. By using the PEI of higher molar mass, core-shell gold nanoparticles of about 3.6 nm size with a more narrow size distribution and special fluorescence behavior could be synthesized.
Structuring overmany length scales is a design strategy widely used in Nature to create materials with unique functional properties. We here present a comprehensive analysis of an adult sea urchin spine, and in revealing a complex, hierarchical structure, showhow Nature fabricates a material which diffracts as a single crystal of calcite and yet fractures as a glassy material. Each spine comprises a highly oriented array of Mg-calcite nanocrystals in which amorphous regions and macromolecules are embedded. It is postulated that this mesocrystalline structure forms via the crystallization of a dense array of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) precursor particles. A residual surface layer of ACC and/or macromolecules remains around the nanoparticle units which creates the mesocrystal structure and contributes to the conchoidal fracture behavior. Nature's demonstration of howcrystallization of an amorphous precursor phase can create a crystalline material with remarkable properties therefore provides inspiration for a novel approach to the design and synthesis of synthetic composite materials.
The self-assembly of double-hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) diblock copolymers in water has been studied. Isothermal titration calorimetry, small-angle X-ray scattering, and analytical ultracentrifugation suggest that only single polymer chains are present in solution. In contrast, light scattering and transmission electron microscopy detect aggregates with radii of ca. 100 nm. Pulsed field gradient NMR spectroscopy confirms the presence of aggregates, although only 2% of the polymer chains undergo aggregation. Water uptake experiments indicate differences in the hydrophilicity of the two blocks, which is believed to be the origin of the unexpected aggregation behavior (in accordance with an earlier study by Ke et al. [Macromolecules 2009, 42, 5339-5344]). The data therefore suggest that even in double-hydrophilic block copolymers, differences in hydrophilicity are sufficient to drive polymer aggregation, a phenomenon that has largely been overlooked or ignored so far.
Organic-inorganic composite materials with tailored properties can be designed in the lab through bioinspired approaches.
In this context, we exploited the particle-based crystallisation process of calcium sulfate, a technologically important mineral, to hybridise inorganic and organic matter.
We identified and synthesised an organic polymer showing strong affinity to bind to the surfaces of mineral precursors as well as intrinsic tendency to self-organise. Subsequently, polymer-coated building units were allowed to self-assemble via oriented attachment, aggregation and phase transformation, which produced ordered superstructures where the organic polymer is intercalated between the subunits and surrounds the hybrid core as a shell.
This specific architecture across multiple length scales leads to unique mechanical properties, comparable to those of natural biominerals.
Thus, our results devise a straightforward pathway to prepare organic-inorganic hybrid structures via bottom-up self-assembly processes innate to the crystallisation of the inorganic phase.
This approach can likely be transferred to other inorganic minerals, affording next-generation materials for applications in the construction sector, biomedicine and beyond.
High fractions of gold nanorods were locally aligned by means of a polymeric liquid crystalline phase. The gold nanorods constituting >80 wt % of the thin organic-inorganic composite films form a network with side-by-side and end-to-end combinations. Organization into these network structures was induced by shearing gold nanorod-LC polymer dispersions via spin-coating. The LC polymer is a polyoxazoline functionalized with pendent cholesteryl and carboxyl side groups enabling the polymer to bind to the CTAB stabilizer layer of the gold nanorods via electrostatic interactions, thus forming the glue between organic and inorganic components, and to form a chiral nematic lyotropic phase. The self-assembled locally oriented gold nanorod structuring enables control over collective optical properties due to plasmon resonance coupling, reminiscent of enhanced optical properties of natural biomaterials.
Modular toolkit of multifunctional block copoly(2-oxazoline)s for the synthesis of nanoparticles
(2021)
Post-polymerization modification provides an elegant way to introduce chemical functionalities onto macromolecules to produce tailor-made materials with superior properties. This concept was adapted to well-defined block copolymers of the poly(2-oxazoline) family and demonstrated the large potential of these macromolecules as universal toolkit for numerous applications. Triblock copolymers with separated water-soluble, alkyne- and alkene-containing segments were synthesized and orthogonally modified with various low-molecular weight functional molecules by copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) and thiol-ene (TE) click reactions, respectively. Representative toolkit polymers were used for the synthesis of gold, iron oxide and silica nanoparticles.
Silk protein-based materials show promise for application as biomaterials for tissue engineering. The simple and rapid photochemical modification of silk protein-based materials composed of either Bombyx mori silkworm silk or engineered spider silk proteins (eADF4(C16)) is reported. Radicals formed on the silk-based materials initiate the polymerization of monomers (acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, or allylamine) which functionalize the surface of the silk materials with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), or poly(allylamine) (PAAm). To demonstrate potential applications of this type of modification, the polymer-modified silks are mineralized. The PAA- and PMAA-functionalized silks are mineralized with calcium carbonate, whereas the PAAm-functionalized silks are mineralized with silica, both of which provide a coating on the materials that may be useful for bone tissue engineering, which will be the subject of future investigations.
Bio-inspired V2O5-polymer hybrid films were prepared following a one-step self-organization procedure based on liquid crystal formation of organic and inorganic components. These materials were previously reported to exhibit advantageous mechanical properties, comparable to biomaterials, such as human bone and dentin. Here, we show that these hybrid films prepared via a fast and simple synthesis procedure have an additional function as an electrochromic material, exhibiting a long-term cycle stability under alternating potentials. The structures were found to remain intact without visible changes after more than hundred switching cycles and storing the devices for several weeks. Consequently, this multifunctional V2O5-polymer hybrid system shows great promise for various technical applications.