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DOE OSTI · 1634084

Photoresponsive Structured Liquids Enabled by Molecular Recognition at Liquid–Liquid Interfaces

Sun, Huilou·Li, Lianshun·Russell, Thomas P.·Shi, Shaowei
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Abstract

Using host-guest molecular recognition at the oil-water interface, a new type of photoresponsive nanoparticle surfactant (NPS) was designed and prepared to structure liquids. With the help of a polymeric surfactant, the interfacial host-guest interactions can be significantly enhanced, leading to the rapid formation and assembly of a NP monolayer and offering sufficient binding energy to hold the NPs in a jammed state. The assembly of the NPSs can be reversibly manipulated via a photoswitchable jamming-to-unjamming transition, endowing the interface as well as the macroscopic assemblies with responsiveness to the external trigger (photons). Finally, this study for the first time opens a pathway for the construction of multiresponsive, structured all-liquid systems by introducing host-guest chemistry, showing promising potential applications in encapsulation, delivery systems, and unique microfluidic devices.

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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRYinterfacesligandsliquidsnoncovalent interactionssurface tension

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Sun, Huilou, Li, Lianshun, Russell, Thomas P., Shi, Shaowei. 2020-04-23. Photoresponsive Structured Liquids Enabled by Molecular Recognition at Liquid–Liquid Interfaces. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.0c02555

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