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Exploiting Host–Guest Interactions for the Synthesis of a Rod–Rod Block Copolymer with Crystalline and Liquid‐Crystalline Blocks
Author(s) -
Zhou Feng,
Gu KeHua,
Zhang ZhenYu,
Zhang MengYao,
Zhou Sheng,
Shen Zhihao,
Fan XingHe
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201608043
Subject(s) - copolymer , block (permutation group theory) , materials science , liquid crystalline , host (biology) , chemical engineering , liquid crystal , composite material , polymer , mathematics , engineering , optoelectronics , geometry , ecology , biology
By making use of the host–guest interactions between the host molecule tris‐ o ‐phenylenedioxycyclotriphosphazene (TPP) and the rod–coil block copolymer (BCP) poly(ethylene oxide)‐ block ‐poly(octyl 4′‐octyloxy‐2‐vinylbiphenyl‐4‐carboxylate) (PEO‐ b ‐PVBP), the supramolecular rod–rod block copolymer P(EO@TPP)‐ b ‐PVBP was constructed. It consists of a crystalline segment P(EO@TPP) with a hexagonal crystalline structure and a columnar nematic liquid‐crystalline segment (PVBP). As the PVBP segments arrange themselves as columnar nematic phases, the crystalline structure of the inclusion complex P(EO@TPP), which has a smaller diameter, is destroyed. The self‐assembled nanostructure is thus clearly affected by the interplay between the two blocks. On the basis of wide‐ and small‐angle X‐ray scattering analysis, we conclude that the supramolecular rod–rod BCP can self‐assemble into a cylinder‐in‐cylinder double hexagonal structure.