SONSEUROCORES - COMPLEXITY ACROSS LENGTHSCALES IN SOFT MATTER (SCALES)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Materials Science and Engineering
Abstract
The project aims to combine the expertise of groups involved in complementary aspects of research into soft matter with complex self-organization on different length scales. Significant similarities in self-ordering patterns on scales from atomic to 10 and 100 nm have been highlighted recently. This project will focus in particular on novel highly complex structures formed by liquid crystals and star block copolymers consisting of 3 and 4 incompatible types of moieties. The recently introduced honeycomb columnar LC phases in ternary amphiphiles are rapidly expanding in diversity and complexity and, while they will be developed further, several series of quaternary amphiphilic compounds will be synthesised and studied in the course of the project, with a view on creating complex 3-d structures. Furthermore, the design principles learned from the LC work will also be used to expand the range of 2-d phases and surface patterns in miktoarm ter- and quaterpolymers. At the same time attempts will be made to enlarge the range of structured LC phases by applying the principles behind the remarkable range of 2-d and 3-d phases in multiblock copolymers. Inspired by the recent discovery of liquid quasicrystals and closely related 2-d phases in amphiphilic LC's and block copolymers, creation of similar complex and possibly quasiperiodic structures will be attempted, possibly leading to e.g. nearly isotropic photonic bandgap materials. The new structures will also be doped with guest species such as metal ions and functional molecules to investigate their further application potential. A novel approach to create order on colloidal length scale using liquid crystal medium will also be applied. The partners are leading groups in their fields with complementary expertise in synthesis, morphological and structural characterization, NMR, simulation and theory.
Organisations
Publications
Bramble J
(2010)
Planar Alignment of Columnar Discotic Liquid Crystals by Isotropic Phase Dewetting on Chemically Patterned Surfaces
in Advanced Functional Materials
Chen ZH
(2012)
Characterizing size and porosity of hollow nanoparticles: SAXS, SANS, TEM, DLS, and adsorption isotherms compared.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Cheng X
(2008)
Polygonal Cylinder Phases of 3-Alkyl-2,5-diphenylthiophene-Based Bolaamphiphiles: Changing Symmetry by Retaining Net Topology
in Chemistry of Materials
Glettner B
(2008)
Liquid-crystal engineering with anchor-shaped molecules: honeycombs with hexagonal and trigonal symmetries formed by polyphilic bent-core molecules.
in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
Glettner B
(2008)
Liquid-crystalline kagome.
in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
Kieffer R
(2008)
X-Shaped polyphilics: liquid crystal honeycombs with single-molecule walls.
in Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)
Kieffer R
(2009)
Siloxanes and carbosilanes as new building blocks for T-shaped bolaamphiphilic LC molecules
in Soft Matter
Liu F
(2011)
Two- and three-dimensional liquid-crystal phases from axial bundles of rodlike polyphiles: segmented cylinders, crossed columns, and ribbons between sheets.
in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
Liu F
(2008)
The trapezoidal cylinder phase: a new mode of self-assembly in liquid-crystalline soft matter.
in Journal of the American Chemical Society
Peterca M
(2010)
Self-assembly of hybrid dendrons into doubly segregated supramolecular polyhedral columns and vesicles.
in Journal of the American Chemical Society
| Description | The project has combined the expertise of groups involved in complementary aspects of research into soft matter with complex self-organization on different length scales. Significant similarities in self-ordering patterns on scales from atomic to 10 and 100 nm have been highlighted. A key achievement of the project is the discovery of numerous new modes of self-assembly of T-shaped and X-shaped amphiphilic molecules containing an aromatic rod-like core, polar end-groups and nonpolar incompatible side branches. A variety of entirely novel honeycomb, layered, columnar, cubic and other highly complex 3-d phases have been designed and analysed. Functionalization of such self-ordered nanoscale organic systems will lead to new optical, electronic and biomedical materials. A new concept of "multicolour tiling" has been introduces, enabling the creation of highly complex 2d superlattices and self-assembled patterns with large periodicities based on small molecules on any substrate. Furthermore, coating gold nanoparticles with laterally-attached liquid crystal molecules was shown to provide highly specific control over specific arrangements of the nanoparticles for systems such as metamaterials and for other applications. The discovery and structure determination of the self-assembly of helicene molecules into six-stranded hollow helical columns opens the possibility for generating organic helical templates for stereospecific synthesis and separation of optical isomers, and provides the first structure of this kind in molecular detail. Furthermore, the design principles learned from the LC work was used to expand the range of 2-d phases and surface patterns in linear and branched triblock copolymers. Novel ordered structures, including double- and triple helices, have been created and studied. A clearer insight has been gained into features that are common to self-organization in liquid crystal and block copolymers containing incompatible segments on the range of lengthscales from 1 to 100 nm. |
| Exploitation Route | The novel modes of molecular self-assembly can be developed for the creation of nanopatterns for molecular electronics, encapsulating molecules for drug delivery, creating low-dimensional ionic conductors, developing plasmonic materials for advanced optical applications. A combination of experimental techniques have been used and further developed for this study, including grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering, novel variants of scanning probe microscopy, as well as solid-state NMR and molecular dynamics simulation. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Environment,Healthcare |
| URL | http://www.esf.org/coordinating-research/eurocores/completed...2/news.html |
| Description | A number of new modes of molecular self-assembly has been designed that can be used in nanopatterning in molecular electronics, as drug release agents, encapsulation of light-emitting molecules, ordering plasmonic nanoparticles and quantum dots for special optical and electro-optical applications. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
| Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Electronics |
| Impact Types | Economic |