Abstract:
The efficient and controlled construction of hierarchical supramolecular chiral structures has always been the focus and difficulties in the research and application of chiral materials with plenty of challenges. Recently, Prof. Wei Zhang and co-workers at Soochow University proposed polymerization-induced chiral self-assembly (PICSA) concept based on the hydrophobic and liquid-crystalline azobenzene polymer for the first time, by which hierarchical supramolecular chiral polymer assemblies were constructed in a controlled manner. During PICSA process, the internal azobenzene liquid-crystalline ordering, supramolecular interaction and self-assembly of the amphiphilic block copolymers occurred simultaneously, providing an efficient strategy for controlled construction of hierarchical supramolecular chiral polymer assemblies. The molecular-level chirality in polymer systems will be deduced into a higher-level supramolecular chirality and even micro-helix
in situ by PICSA strategy. The strategy overcomes the shortcomings of tedious and time-consuming of traditional supramolecular assembly in solution systems.