Recently, a new class of amphiphiles named �shape amphiphiles� has emerged as hybrids of nano-building blocks that are incommensurate in terms of shapes and interactions. Especially, the design, synthesis and self-assembly of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-based two-component shape amphiphiles, including �giant surfactants� (one POSS head tethered with one polymer tail), �giant lipids� (one POSS head tethered with two polymer tails) and �giant gemini surfactants� (two POSS heads tethered with two polymer tails) have been reported by our group. It was found that not only could they self-assemble into diverse hierarchical supramolecular structures, but also distinct self-assembly behaviors could be observed based on tiny differences in the shape and symmetry of POSS heads, as well as the geometry and topology of the tethered polymer tails. Herein we strive to expand the scope of POSS-based shape amphiphiles toolbox to the family of multiple-component miktoarm shape amphiphiles using sequential �click� reactions. The versatile vinyl POSS-based tri-functional precursor was employed to orthogonally design and synthesize miktoarm shape amphiphiles by three-step �click� reactions, such as one POSS head tethered with two asymmetric polymer tails, or two asymmetric POSS heads tethered with one polymer tail. And the POSS head and polymer chain composition could thus be tuned separately in a modular and efficient way.

Universal sequential “click” chemistry towards polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-based miktoarm shape amphiphiles

245th National Meeting (2013)

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