Geometry-Modulated Self-Assembly Structures of Covalent Polyoxometalate–Polymer Hybrid in Bulk and Thin-Film States

Abstract

This work reports the synthesis, characterization, and self-assembled structures of three series of Keggin-type polyoxometalate (POM)-based hybrid molecules KPOM-mPSn (m = 1, 2 and 3), in which one, two, or three polystyrene (PS) chains are covalently attached to a POM head, respectively. The classical “click” reaction was applied to prepare samples with predesigned molecular geometry, which were further purified by C18 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Strong chemical incompatibility between inorganic POMs and organic PS chains drives the hybrid molecules to microphase separate into versatile nanostructures in both bulk and thin-film states. In thermally annealed bulk samples, four phase morphologies were found depending on both the overall molecular geometry and the volume fractions of PS tails, including lamellae (LAM), hexagonal packed cylinders (HEX), disordered micelles (DM), and body-centered cubic (BCC) packed spheres, as revealed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). In the thin-film state, LAM, HEX, and BCC structures were observed and proved by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images and grazing incidence SAXS (GISAXS). This work expands the scope of self-assembled nanostructures of POM-based hybrid materials to spherical phases and provides a platform for the study of the basic physical principles of their self-assembly behavior.