Department of Polymer Science, College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA.
Soft Matter. 2019 Sep 18;15(36):7108-7116. doi: 10.1039/c9sm01502g.
In biological systems, it is well-known that the activities and functions of biomacromolecules are dictated not only by their primary chemistries, but also by their secondary, tertiary, and quaternary hierarchical structures. Achieving control of similar levels in synthetic macromolecules is yet to be demonstrated. Most of the critical molecular parameters associated with molecular and hierarchical structures, such as size, composition, topology, sequence, and stereochemistry, are heterogenous, which impedes the exploration and understanding of structure formation and manipulation. Alternatively, in the past few years we have developed a unique giant molecule system based on molecular nanoparticles, in which the above-mentioned molecular parameters, as well as interactions, are precisely defined and controlled. These molecules could self-assemble into a myriad of unconventional and unique structures in the bulk, thin films, and solution. Giant molecules thus offer a robust platform to manipulate the hierarchical structures via precise and modular assemblies of building blocks in an amplified size level compared with small molecules. It has been found that they are not only scientifically intriguing, but also technologically relevant.
在生物体系中，人们早已认识到，生物大分子的活性和功能不仅取决于其一级化学结构，还取决于其二级、三级和四级的层次结构。在合成大分子中实现类似的控制水平仍有待证明。与分子和层次结构相关的大多数关键分子参数，如大小、组成、拓扑、序列和立体化学，都是异质的，这阻碍了对结构形成和操纵的探索和理解。或者，在过去的几年中，我们已经开发出了一种基于分子纳米粒子的独特的巨型分子体系，其中上述分子参数以及相互作用都得到了精确的定义和控制。这些分子可以在本体、薄膜和溶液中自组装成无数非常规和独特的结构。与小分子相比，巨型分子在放大的尺寸水平上通过精确和模块化的构建块组装来操纵层次结构，为其提供了一个强大的平台。人们已经发现，它们不仅在科学上具有吸引力，而且在技术上也具有相关性。
