(38d) Molecular Self-Assembly in Nematic Solvents

Solvent-mediated self-assembly of amphiphiles and macromolecules has been widely used as a bottom-up strategy for the synthesis of nanostructured materials, but most solvents (e.g., water or isotropic organic solvents) provide limited control over the spatial localization and manipulation of individual assemblies. In this presentation, we describe how nematic solvents offer new approaches to macromolecular synthesis and assembly, providing capabilities and control that go beyond what is possible with conventional solvent systems. First, we will report the capability to form and subsequently manipulate the position of single molecular assemblies comprising either amphiphiles or polymers. The approach is based on the formation of molecular assemblies in topological defects of nematic solvents, and manipulation of the location of the defects using electric fields. Second, we will address the potential use of nematics as block-selective solvents to drive polymer self-assembly processes. Overall, this presentation will illustrate the utility of nematic solvents as a programmable and versatile class of solvents for macromolecular synthesis and assembly. The findings to be presented offer the basis of new methods to study molecular self-assembly at the single assembly level and to achieve programmable transport of molecular cargo for synthesis and assembly.