Hierarchical Self-assembled Structures Research Articles

Mechanical Players—The Role of Intermediate Filaments in Cell Mechanics and Organization

Mechanical Players—The Role of Intermediate Filaments in Cell Mechanics and Organization

ChemInform Abstract: From Coordination Polymers to Hierarchical Self‐Assembled Structures

AbstractReview: 82 refs.

One-Pot Size and Interior-Cavity Controlled Synthesis of ZnO Hollow Micro-/Nano-Structured Spheres

In this work, ZnO hollow micro-/nano-structured microspheres were prepared via a one-pot solution route. The size and interior-cavity of these microspheres could be easily controlled by varying the precursor concentration. The hollow spherical assemblies were composed of short rod-like building units at low precursor concentration. When the precursor concentration increased, one-dimensional (1D) "pearl-chain-like" building units formed firstly and then self organized into hollow microspheres. The organization process and ripening of "pearl-chain-like" building units could be modulated by simply altering the reaction time. When tested in photocatalytic experiments, the hollow microspheres composed of loosely packed 1D "pearl-chain-like" building units showed higher activity than the densely packed ones. This method is very simple, mild, and may provide a new strategy to synthesize hierarchical self-assembled hollow structures.

Solution route to SnO2 crystals with controllable morphology

SnO2 crystals with various morphologies were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method in the simple solution systems of SnCl2 and SnCl4, respectively. This process was carried out under mild conditions and required no high-temperature heat treatment. The morphological evolution with the preparation conditions was investigated. Various self-assembled hierarchical structures including microspheres assembled with nanoparticles, oriented nanocones, and flower-like, cabbage-like structures consisting of single-crystalline nanosheets were obtained by varying the solvent and the introduction of polyethylene glycol. A possible mechanism for the formation of the spherical hierarchically structures assembled by cone-like nanocrystals was proposed.

Hierarchical Self‐Assembly of Surfactant‐Encapsulated and Organically Grafted Polyoxometalate Complexes

A series of surfactant-encapsulated and organically grafted polyoxometalates (SEOPs) were prepared through a co-precipitation procedure. Through a rational selection of the molecular components in the structure of the complex, SEOP complexes self-assemble into ordered aggregates with two different hierarchical self-assembled structures in an organic solvent mixture of dichloromethane and methanol in different volume ratios. FTIR, (1)H NMR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the self-assembly process and the involved driving forces. In a weakly polar solvent, SEOPs aggregated into fibers with a lamellar structure. When the solvent polarity was increased, SEOPs formed ribbonlike aggregates with a tetragonal structure. The change of the hierarchical self-assembled structure was deduced in regard to the arrangement of alkyl chains, electrostatic interactions, and hydrogen bonding between the pyridyl groups and terminal oxygen atoms of the polyoxometalates. The ribbonlike aggregates exhibit birefringence due to the ordered arrangement of SEOPs in the microstructure.

Hierarchical Self-Assembled Structures from POSS-Containing Block Copolymers Synthesized by Living Anionic Polymerization

Two kinds of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-containing block copolymers (BCPs), namely PS-b-PMAPOSS and PMMA-b-PMAPOSS, were synthesized by living anionic polymerization. A wide range of molecular weights were obtained with a very narrow polydispersity index of less than 1.09. The bulk samples prepared by slow evaporation from a polymer solution in chloroform exhibit well-defined microphase-separated structures with long-range order. Thermal annealing induced hierarchical structures consisting of a smaller length scale ordered crystalline POSS domains within the larger microphase-separated structures. We report detailed structural characterization of these hierarchical structures in bulk and thin films by transmission electron microscopy and grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). On the basis of this structural analysis, we propose a model for the formation of an orthorhombic lattice structure through the aggregation of POSS segments which formed a helix-like structure.

Sixfold self-assembled hierarchical structures synthesized by direct annealing of Zn microtips

A facile route and the related mechanism for forming sixfold core–shell hierarchical structure with well-defined anisotropic three-dimensional arrays have been described. The regularity and symmetry of hierarchical structures prepared by annealing Zn microtips are superior to the random nanostructure arrays formed in general vapor system reported in the literature. Owing to the distinct stress distribution on the topography of microtips during annealing, the mechanism for growing branched zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowhiskers is related to the relaxation of stress. In addition, the self-assembled hierarchical structures with naturally good contact results in a lowered energy barrier between Zn metal and ZnO semiconductor, which in turn gives a much better emission property.

Hierarchical Nanostructures of PbTiO<SUB>3</SUB> Through Mesocrystal Formation

Novel hierarchical self-assembled structures; bur-like PbTiO3 nanostructures were made by self-assembly of PbTiO3 nanocrystals under hydrothermal conditions using sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate surfactant. The bur-like nanostructures exhibit a unique geometrical shape with cores of agglomerated nanocrystals and outershells of nanorods. The nanorods were between 30 nm and 100 nm in diameter and from several hundred nm up to 2 microm in length. We demonstrate that these nanostructures are formed in a two step process where agglomeration of PbTiO3 nanoparticles into microspheres occurs in a first step, followed by assembly of cube-shaped nanoparticle building blocks into PbTiO3 mesocrystals in a second step. The mesocrystals continuously grow into nanorods from the surface of the microspheres acting as a substrate.

Nucleobase−Metal Hybrid Materials: Preparation of Submicrometer-Scale, Spherical Colloidal Particles of Adenine−Gold(III) via a Supramolecular Hierarchical Self-Assembly Approach

We report a simple and effective supramolecular route for facile synthesis of submicrometer-scale, hierarchically self-assembled spherical colloidal particles of adenine−gold(III) hybrid materials at room temperature. Simple mixture of the precursor aqueous solutions of adenine and HAuCl4 at room temperature could result in spontaneous formation of the hybrid colloidal particles. Optimization of the experimental conditions could yield uniform-sized, self-assembled products at 1:4 molar ration of adenine to HAuCl4. Transmission electron microscopy results reveal the formation of hierarchical self-assembled structure of the as-prepared colloidal particles. Concentration dependence, ratio dependence, time dependence, and kinetic measurements have been investigated. Moreover, spectroscopic evidence [i.e., Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV−vis spectra and wide-angle X-ray scattering data] of the interaction motives causing the formation of the colloidal particles is also presented. The as-prepared nucle...

Nano- and micropatterning by organic-inorganic templating of hierarchical self-assembled structures.

Nano- and micropatterning by organic-inorganic templating of hierarchical self-assembled structures.