Issue 3, 2017

Chemically coded time-programmed self-assembly

Abstract

Dynamic self-assembly is of great interest in the fields of chemistry, physics and materials science and provides a flexible bottom-up approach to build assemblies at multiscale levels. We propose a method to control the time domain of self-assembling systems in a closed system, from molecular to material level using a driving chemical system: methylene glycol–sulfite pH clock reaction coupled to lactone hydrolysis. The time domain of the transient pH state (alkaline) and the time lag between the initialization of the reaction and the pH change can be efficiently fine-tuned by the initial concentration of the reagents and by the chemical composition of the lactone. The self-assembly of pH-responsive building blocks can be dynamically driven by this kinetic system, in which the time course of the pH change is coded in the system. This approach provides a flexible and autonomous way to control the self-assembly of pH responsive building blocks in closed chemical systems far from their thermodynamic equilibrium.

Graphical abstract: Chemically coded time-programmed self-assembly

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 Mar 2017
Accepted
02 Jun 2017
First published
02 Jun 2017
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Mol. Syst. Des. Eng., 2017,2, 274-282

Chemically coded time-programmed self-assembly

E. Tóth-Szeles, J. Horváth, G. Holló, R. Szűcs, H. Nakanishi and I. Lagzi, Mol. Syst. Des. Eng., 2017, 2, 274 DOI: 10.1039/C7ME00020K

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