Inspired by the many selective, hierarchical assembly processes that afford complex materials in Nature, the directional organization of asymmetrically-functionalized nanoparticles into complex structures has attracted much attention. However, the routine ability to build hierarchical superstructures from nanoscale building blocks by controllable inter-nanoparticle association is not yet possible due to the challenge of the construction of asymmetrically-functionalized nanoparticles with efficient control over surface chemistries. In this presentation, two strategies towards the symmetrically-functionalized nanoparticles with anisotropic distributions of chemical functionalities will be discussed. A Janus-faced polymer nanoparticle that presents two orthogonally click-reactive surface chemistries, thiol and azido, has been generated by a recyclable strategy that involves reactive functional group transfer by templating against gold nanoparticle substrates. Another stepwise self-assembly strategy produced nanoparticles with sandwich-like distribution of crown ether functionalities by the supramolecular crown etherammonium interaction-mediated inter-particle association and the local phase separation of unlike hydrophobic polymers. 

Versatile constructions of asymmetrically-functionalized polymer nanoparticles for the self-assembly of superstructures

246th National Meeting (2013)

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