Files and links (1)
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Breaking translational symmetry via polymer chain overcrowding in molecular bottlebrush crystallization
Nature communications, v 11(1), pp 2152-2152
01 May 2020
PMID: 32358513
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
One of the fundamental laws in crystallization is translational symmetry, which accounts for the profound shapes observed in natural mineral crystals and snowflakes. Herein, we report on the spontaneous formation of spherical hollow crystals with broken translational symmetry in crystalline molecular bottlebrush (mBB) polymers. The unique structure is named as mBB crystalsome (mBBC), highlighting its similarity to the classical molecular vesicles. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments show that the mBBC formation is driven by local chain overcrowding-induced asymmetric lamella bending, which is further confirmed by correlating crystalsome size with crystallization temperature and mBBs side chain grafting density. Our study unravels a new principle of spontaneous translational symmetry breaking, providing a general route towards designing versatile nanostructures. One of the fundamental laws in crystallization is translational symmetry but breaking translational symmetry can be used as a general route towards the design of nanostructures. Here the authors show that overcrowding in molecular bottlebrush polymers allows for spontaneous formation of spherical hollow crystals with broken translational symmetry.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Breaking translational symmetry via polymer chain overcrowding in molecular bottlebrush crystallization
- Creators
- Hao Qi - Drexel UniversityXiting Liu - Drexel UniversityDaniel M. Henn - University of Tennessee at KnoxvilleShan Mei - Drexel UniversityMark C. Staub - Drexel UniversityBin Zhao - University of Tennessee at KnoxvilleChristopher Y. Li - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Nature communications, v 11(1), pp 2152-2152
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 9
- Grant note
- DMR 1709136; DMR 1607076 / National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF) University of Tennessee's Open Publishing Support Fund
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000531425700033
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85084119783
- Other Identifier
- 991019168450604721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Polymer Science