Aqueous Self-Assembly of Hydrophobic Molecules Influenced by the Molecular Geometry
Journal
The journal of physical chemistry. B
Journal Volume
126
Journal Issue
6
Pages
1334
Date Issued
2022-02-17
Author(s)
Chen, Jia
Zheng, Linlin
Ji, Xiaohuan
Wen, Jin
Zhu, Liping
Sun, Bin
Wang, Xiaosong
Zhu, Meifang
Abstract
Water, in addition to acting as a solvent, plays a constructional role in aqueous self-assembly. The hydrophobic molecule of POSS-PDI-POSS (POSS = polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes, PDI = perylene diimide) has a shape anisotropy in which POSS is a ball-like bulky group and PDI is a flat aromatic group. The self-assembly of this molecule in water created assemblies with inner spaces due to the steric effect, which suppressed aromatic interactions of PDI and trapped water for the colloidal stability. By replacing POSS with dodecyl (C12), C12-PDI-C12 aggregated with extended aromatic interaction of PDI and less inner water. The resulting aggregates tended to agglomerate and precipitate. This discovery extended the scope of aqueous self-assembly by using the building blocks without amphiphilicity and created knowledge for biophysics.
SDGs
Type
journal article