Block copolymer aggregates with photo-responsive switches: Towards a controllable supramolecular container |
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Authors: | Yapei Wang Christian Moers Huaping Xu Xi Zhang Zhibo Li |
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Affiliation: | a Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China b Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, PR China |
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Abstract: | Herein, we present a concept of combining host-guest chemistry with block copolymer self-assembly to fabricate an inner cross-linking block copolymer aggregate with photo-responsive switches on the basis of the reversible interaction between azobenzene and β-cyclodextrin, which can serve as a controllable supramolecular container to load and release guest molecules reversibly. The inner cross-link makes the block copolymer aggregates exhibit good stability, and the aggregates can keep their spherical morphologies during photo-irradiation treatment. When the switches are in on-state, cyclodextrins can bind with hydrophobic pyrene molecules; and when the switches are in off-state, pyrene molecules will get away from the cyclodextrins. The photo-controllable switches embedded in the aggregates endow this new supramolecular container with the capability to load and release guest molecules reversibly without structure disruption. It is anticipated that this line of work may open an avenue for fabricating new polymeric containers which can be used for controllable molecular transfer and catalysis. |
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Keywords: | Supramolecular container Block copolymer Photo-controlled switches |
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