Topochemical polymerizations in supramolecular polymers of oligopeptide substituted diacetylenes

POLY 132

Holger Frauenrath, frauenrath@mat.ethz.ch1, Eike Jahnke, jahnke@mat.ethz.ch1, Anne-Sophie Millerioux1, Ingo Lieberwirth2, Nikolai Severin3, and Jürgen P. Rabe3. (1) Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Hoenggerberg HCI H515, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland, (2) Polymer Research, Max Planck Institute, Ackermannweg 10, Mainz, 55128, Germany, (3) Department of Physics, Humboldt University Berlin, Newtonstrasse 15, Berlin, 12489, Germany
Supramolecular self-assembly and topochemical diacetylene polymerizations are a perfect match. The former provides the order required for topochemical polymerizations without being confined to crystalline monomers, while the latter represents a superior pathway of covalent capture, leading to optoelectronically active polymers.

molecules

We prepared, self-assembled, and polymerized the diacetylene macromonomers 1-3 which comprised an aliphatic coil segment and a tetra-l-alanine segment. Whereas 1 formed antiparallel β-sheets, the hydrogen bonded end groups in 2 and 3 enforced the formation of parallel β-sheets. TEM and SFM images of 2 showed several micrometers long, right-handed double-helical fibrils. While 1 did not polymerize, UV irradiation of 2 and 3 in DCM solution induced a polymerization. The obtained poly(diacetylene)s combine optoelectronic activity, a high degree of functionalization, and a complex tertiary structure, which renders them attractive for applications at the interface with the biosciences.

 

General Papers: Polymers in Nanotechnology
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Sunday, 10 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Division of Polymer Chemistry

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