Surface-controlled spatially heterogeneous physical properties of a supramolecular gel with homogeneous chemical composition

Yang, Bin; Lledos, Marina; Akhtar, Riaz; Ciccone, Giuseppe; Jiang, Long; Russo, Emanuele; Rajput, Sunil; Jin, Chunyu; Angelereou, Maria Galini Faidra; Arnold, Thomas; Rawle, Jonathan; Vassalli, Massimo; Marlow, Maria; Adams, Dave J.; Zelzer, Mischa

Abstract

Controlling supramolecular self-assembly across multiple length scales to prepare gels with localised properties is challenging. Most strategies concentrate on fabricating gels with heterogeneous components, where localised properties are generated by the stimuli-responsive component. Here, as an alternative approach, we use a spiropyran-modified surface that can be patterned with light. We show that light-induced differences in surface chemistry can direct the bulk assembly of a low molecular weight gelator, 2-NapAV, meaning that mechanical gel properties can be controlled by the surface on which the gel is grown. Using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering, we demonstrate that the origin of the different gel properties relates to differences in the architectures of the gels. This provides a new method to prepare a single domain (i.e., chemically homogeneous) hydrogel with locally controlled (i.e., mechanically heterogeneous) properties.

Citation

Yang, B., Lledos, M., Akhtar, R., Ciccone, G., Jiang, L., Russo, E., Rajput, S., Jin, C., Angelereou, M. G. F., Arnold, T., Rawle, J., Vassalli, M., Marlow, M., Adams, D. J., & Zelzer, M. (2021). Surface-controlled spatially heterogeneous physical properties of a supramolecular gel with homogeneous chemical composition. Chemical Science, 12(42), 14260-14269. https://doi.org/10.1039/d1sc04671c

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 9, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Oct 11, 2021
• Publication Date: Nov 14, 2021
• Deposit Date: Sep 8, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 8, 2022
• Journal: Chemical Science
• Print ISSN: 2041-6520
• Electronic ISSN: 2041-6539
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 42
• Pages: 14260-14269
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d1sc04671c
• Keywords: General Chemistry
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/7354675
• Publisher URL: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/SC/D1SC04671C