Catalytic control over the formation of supramolecular materials
In this Perspective, we will discuss how the rate of formation of supramolecular materials can be drastically enhanced by catalytically controlling the rate of formation of their molecular building blocks, resulting in the formation of out-of-equilibrium soft materials with enhanced mechanical prope...
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| Published in | Organic & biomolecular chemistry Vol. 12; no. 33; pp. 6292 - 6296 |
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| Main Authors | , |
| Format | Journal Article |
| Language | English |
| Published |
England
07.09.2014
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| Online Access | Get full text |
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| Summary: | In this Perspective, we will discuss how the rate of formation of supramolecular materials can be drastically enhanced by catalytically controlling the rate of formation of their molecular building blocks, resulting in the formation of out-of-equilibrium soft materials with enhanced mechanical properties. Also, the use of surface confined, patterned catalysts allows spatial control over self-assembly, which can be applied to the formation of regular, micrometer sized hydrogel patterns. Catalysis has been applied for decades as an indispensable tool in the synthesis of both simple and highly complex molecules and polymers, ranging from milligram lab-scale to multi-ton industrial processes. However, despite being widespread in nature, until recently the use of catalysis to control the formation of supramolecular materials has remained limited. We will demonstrate the large potential of using catalysis as a tool in the construction of soft materials, illustrated by recent developments.
Catalytic formation of self-assembling building blocks provides control over the morphology, mechanical properties and spatial distribution of soft supramolecular materials. |
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| Bibliography: | Jan van Esch is professor of chemistry at Delft University of Technology, and he chairs the Advanced Soft Matter group. He is a supramolecular and physical organic chemistry scientist from the Dutch Nolte school (PhD), and did postdoctoral stays with Helmut Ringsdorf and Ben Feringa. His research focuses on directed self-assembly and far-from-equilibrium phenomena in molecular systems, and to exploit such systems in smart materials and biomedical applications. He is recipient of fellowships of the Humboldt Foundation and the Netherlands Academy of Science, and a prestigious VICI grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. Rienk Eelkema is an assistant professor of chemistry at Delft University of Technology. He obtained his PhD in chemistry with Prof. Ben Feringa, and was awarded the KNCV Backer award for the best organic chemistry thesis in the Netherlands, 2007. After completing postdoctoral work at the University of Oxford with Prof. Harry Anderson FRS, he joined the TU Delft Faculty in 2008 and obtained tenure in 2013. His main research interests include the use of chemical reactivity to control self-assembly processes and soft materials, and the design and synthesis of new materials for applications in biology and physics. cum laude ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
| ISSN: | 1477-0520 1477-0539 |
| DOI: | 10.1039/c4ob01108b |