In self-assembled systems, structural transitions are frequently driven by changes in solution conditions such as pH, temperature, and salt concentration. Much rarer are transitions driven by stearic changes in the molecule caused by chemical reactions.In our recent work, we created a series of novel, self-assembling amphiphiles designed to photo-catalyze reactions for fuel production. Upon self-assembly in water, these molecules initially adopt a cylindrical geometry. However, after undergoing a chemical reaction at their surface, these nanostructures transform into extremely uniform micelles with a maximum size variation of ~7%. Herein, we provide TEM, cryo-EM and SAXS evidence for the uniformity of these micelles, as well as observations of morphological evolution during the transition process. We speculate that this unique phenomenon occurs by a Rayleigh decomposition process, which explains the unusually high regularity of the micelles observed.

Formation of ultra-uniform micelles via morphological evolution during a chemical reaction

256th National Meeting (2018)

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