Control over Ba(ii)-mediated single-chain polymer nanoparticle compaction by dynamic metal complexation

Abstract

The current study investigates the dynamic interactions of barium ions with a synthetic polymer, leading to the formation of intramolecularly folded single-chain nanoparticles (SCNPs), providing targeted control over the polymer morphology. Understanding of the experimental findings is aided by sophisticated molecular dynamics simulations. The high contrast provided by the heavy metal ions within the barium-functionalized nanoparticles enables the scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging of single metal atoms within individual SCNPs. The reported findings are expected to aid the in-depth understanding of metal polymer interactions in general. The newly developed concepts hold key potential for the investigation of structure–property relationships of metallopolymers in an unprecedented fashion.