The functionalization of polymers with gold nanoparticles using reversible supramolecular self-assembly processes

ORGN 766

Ivan Aprahamian1, Paula Mendes1, Ken C-F. Leung, cfleung@chem.ucla.edu1, Diego Benitez, diego@chem.ucla.edu2, and J. Fraser Stoddart, stoddart@chem.ucla.edu1. (1) California NanoSystems Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569, (2) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569
Side-chain functionalized polymers have a profound impact on complex materials synthesis with a variety of applications ranging from liquid crystalline and electro-optical materials to drug delivery systems. Supramolecular self-assembly processes are a main approach used in the synthesis of such polymers. One way of achieving this objective is to take advantage of the complexation known to occur between dialkylammonium ion centers (–NH2+–) and crown ether units (dibenzo[24]crown-8, DB24C8). The uniqueness of this recognition motif and its appeal stem from the reversibility of the self-assembly process as a function of the applied pH. This work focuses on the self-assembly of dialkylammonium-functionalized gold nanoparticles (Au-NH2+) on DB24C8-functionalized polymers of variable flexibility, namely polystyrene (PS-DB24C8) and norbornene based polymers. The formation of the supramolecular polymeric systems, the effect of polymer rigidity and the reversibility of the self-assembly process have been studied using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), 1H-NMR spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering.

 

Total Synthesis, Materials, Molecular Recognition, Process R&D, and Physical Organic Chemistry
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Wednesday, 13 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Division of Organic Chemistry

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006