Premium
Dual Stimuli‐Responsive Self‐Assembled Supramolecular Nanoparticles
Author(s) -
Stoffelen Carmen,
Voskuhl Jens,
Jonkheijm Pascal,
Huskens Jurriaan
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201310829
Subject(s) - azobenzene , supramolecular chemistry , photoisomerization , ternary operation , cucurbituril , chemistry , non covalent interactions , molecule , nanoparticle , ternary complex , supramolecular polymers , self assembly , combinatorial chemistry , nanotechnology , materials science , isomerization , organic chemistry , hydrogen bond , catalysis , computer science , enzyme , programming language
Supramolecular nanoparticles (SNPs) encompass multiple copies of different building blocks brought together by specific noncovalent interactions. The inherently multivalent nature of these systems allows control of their size as well as their assembly and disassembly, thus promising potential as biomedical delivery vehicles. Here, dual responsive SNPs have been based on the ternary host–guest complexation between cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]), a methyl viologen (MV) polymer, and mono‐ and multivalent azobenzene (Azo) functionalized molecules. UV switching of the Azo groups led to fast disruption of the ternary complexes, but to a relatively slow disintegration of the SNPs. Alternating UV and Vis photoisomerization of the Azo groups led to fully reversible SNP disassembly and reassembly. SNPs were only formed with the Azo moieties in the trans and the MV units in the oxidized states, respectively, thus constituting a supramolecular AND logic gate.