Journal article
Folding versus self-assembling
Chemistry : a European journal, Vol.9(19), pp.4594-4601
10/06/2003
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/114074
PMID: 14566864
Abstract
Model foldable polymers with sequences of rigid hydrophobic chromophores and flexible hydrophilic tetra(ethylene glycol) were synthesized and used as a paradigm for studying molecular-folding and self-assembly phenomena. Our results demonstrate that intramolecular association or folding prevails over intermolecular interaction or self-assembling in the concentration region from 1 microM to 0.1 M. Importantly, folded polymeric nanostructures have absorption and fluorescence properties that are distinct from those of unfolded polymers or free monomers. We hypothesize that the origins of folding and self-assembly come from interactions between molecular units, and that the key parameter that regulates the on-and-off of such interactions is the distance R separating the two molecular units. Each molecular unit produces a characteristic force field, and when another molecular unit enters this field, the probability that the two units will interact increases significantly. A preliminary estimate of the radius of such a force field for the perylene tetracarboxylic diimide chromophore is about 90-120 A. As a result, phenomena associated with folding or self-assembly of molecular species are observed when these conditions are met in solution.
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Details
- Title
- Folding versus self-assembling
- Creators
- Alexander D Q Li - Department of Chemistry and Center for Materials Research, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA. dequan@wsu.eduWei WangLi-Qiong Wang
- Publication Details
- Chemistry : a European journal, Vol.9(19), pp.4594-4601
- Academic Unit
- Department of Chemistry
- Publisher
- Germany
- Identifiers
- 99900547822701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article