Nanoscopic and Hierachical Materials via Living Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly

A key synthetic challenge of widespread interest in chemical science involves the creation of well-defined 2D functional materials that exist on a length-scale of nanometers to microns. In this ambitious 5 year proposal we aim to tackle this issue by exploiting the unique opportunities made possible by recent developments with the living crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) platform. Using this solution processing approach, amphiphilic block copolymers (BCPs) with crystallizable blocks, related amphiphiles, and polymers with charged end groups will be used to predictably construct monodisperse samples of tailored, functional soft matter-based 2D nanostructures with controlled shape, size, and spatially-defined chemistries. Many of the resulting nanostructures will also offer unprecedented opportunities as precursors to materials with hierarchical structures through further solution-based “bottom-up” assembly methods. In addition to fundamental studies, the proposed work also aims to make important impact in the cutting-edge fields of liquid crystals, interface stabilization, catalysis, supramolecular polymers, and hierarchical materials.