2022 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Solid-state supramolecular polymers: a new era for polymer science
| Project/Area Number |
21F21337
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Institution | Institute of Physical and Chemical Research |
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Principal Investigator |
相田 卓三 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 創発物性科学研究センター, グループディレクター (00167769)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
SU ZEBIN 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 創発物性科学研究センター, 外国人特別研究員
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-11-18 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | supramolecular polymers / self-assembly / block copolymers |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
I synthesized a novel type of supramolecular monomer, which contains a carboxylate group, a guanidinium group, and two thermodynamic incompatible side chains. The carboxylate group and the guanidinium group have a strong supramolecular interaction called salt-bridge. The monomers are supramolecular polymerized via salt-bridge interaction. Furthermore, supramolecular polymers form a hierarchical structure in the solid state due to the microphase separation of two side chains. I confirmed the formation of nanoscale hierarchical structures by small angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscope. This result demonstrates that supramolecular polymerization can facilitate the microphase separation of polymer chains with small molecular weights and further form nanoscale structures.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
4: Progress in research has been delayed.
Reason
The main reason I am delayed is I met many unexpected challenges. During my synthesis, I have remodified my molecular design 5 times. Because each time I met unexpected problems and difficulties. For example, my monomer contains guanidium group, it is a cationic, therefore the product is difficult to be separated by silica column and require 100% conversion for the last step. Also, the guanidine itself is unstable in the alkaline condition. The polymer part such as PDMS will be decomposed in acid condition. Many difficulties were met during my synthesis.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The investigation of precisely controlling the hierarchical structures of SBCP will focus on the following three aspects. 1) the impact of associate constants of supramolecular interactions on self-assembled structure will be investigated, particularly the threshold of associate constant required for the microphase separation of SBCP. 2) the effect of molecular architectures on the assembled structures and transformation between structures will be explored. 3) The stimulus-response of the assembled structures of SBCP under electric and magnetic fields will be analyzed, to establish the correlation between the external field and assembled structures.
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