Morphology control and property design of boronate dynamic nanostructures

Abstract

Boronate dynamic nanostructures (BDNs), featuring the use of dynamic boronate bonds, have shown great promise for various applications, as they not only combine the robustness of covalent bonds and the error-correction capability of noncovalent interactions, but also integrate into the unique room-temperature dynamic reversibility and multi-stimuli responsiveness. However, the construction of BDNs with specific morphologies and properties is essential but still remains an art rather than a science, due to a limited understanding of the formation mechanism and morphology control of BDNs. Herein, a systematic investigation of the formation of BDNs by using 30 different building blocks is performed. BDNs in diverse dimensions and shapes (such as nanospheres, nanoflowers, and previously unreported nanowires, nanorods, nanocanes and nanobelts) are obtained. The crucial impact of the composition and structure of building blocks on the BDN morphogenesis, such as (I) the type of linking group; (II) the type of spacer; (III) spacer length; (IV) spacer flexibility/rigidity; and (V) interchain interaction, is clearly demonstrated. Furthermore, the morphology–structure–property relationship of BDNs is also assessed to provide more information for future applications. Undoubtedly, this research provides guiding principles for the manipulation of the morphologies and properties of BDNs.