Multifunctional Nanoporous Polymer Membranes from Supramolecular Assembly of Block Copolymer with Polymerizable Arginine Derivative

Abstract

Nanoporous membranes prepared by supramolecular assembly of block copolymers have attracted increasing attention for their well-defined nanostructure, adjustable pore size, and large-scale manufacturing. In this context, the development of nanoporous membranes with tailored surface chemistry and specific functionalities presents significant opportunities and is critical for their practical applications. Herein, we demonstrate an efficient supramolecular approach for fabricating arginine-functionalized multifunctional nanoporous membranes by assembling the conventional polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) with the designed arginine-based amphiphile containing three terminal pyrrole moieties (Py 3 -Arg) that could be polymerized to form the stable membranes in organic solvents followed by the removal of PS-b-P4VP template. Because of the distinct chemical properties of arginine moieties decorated on the wall surface, the obtained nanoporous membranes exhibit multifunctionality and hold a broad scope of promising applications, including but not limited to pH-tunable gating, selective adsorption, and membrane catalytic capability.

Preparation of gradient porous polymer membranes with multifunctionality

“…In addition, much effort has been devoted to the rational design of porous polymer membrane with different functions, contributing to their versatility and application potential. [15][16][17] Among these, self-healing property is one of attractive properties for membrane materials, allowing mechanical damage to be repaired without external assistance. However, the construction of functional porous polymer materials with self-healing ability still remains a challenge, which often requires the introduction of multiple levels of non-covalent bonds into polymer frameworks to exhibit reversible association-dissociation behavior.…”

Advances, Challenges, and Opportunities of Poly(γ-butyrolactone)-Based Recyclable Polymers

“…To further improve the polymer performance, copolymerization was utilized as an effective strategy to tailor material property by the combination of certain desirable characteristics of two or more homopolymers. − Based on the advances of efficient polymerization of GBL at low temperature and high monomer concentration, ring-opening copolymerizations (ROCOP) of nonstrained GBL and high-strained cyclic monomers achieved progress to prepare block and random copolymers with controlled structures and varied properties (Figure ). It is notable that the utilization of a comonomer contributed to an elevation of polymerization temperature above the ceiling temperature. − For example, the addition of comonomer ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) enabled the copolymerization at room temperature, and copolymers with molecular weights up to 135 kg/mol were obtained .…”

Efficient Fabrication of Diverse Mesostructured Materials from the Self-Assembly of Pyrrole-Containing Block Copolymers and Their Confined Chemical Transformation

“…Zhao et al used poly­(ethylene oxide)- block -poly­(methyl methacrylate) (PEO- b -PMMA) as templates to fabricate mesoporous silica with a super large pore size (37 nm) and face-centered cubic (fcc) structure by the solvent evaporation-induced aggregating assembly (EIAA) method . In addition, other BCPs such as polystyrene- block -poly­(4-vinylpyridine) (PS- b -P4VP), , poly­(isoprene)- block -poly­(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), poly­(caprolactone)- block -poly­(ethylene oxide), polyisobutylene -block -poly­(ethylene oxide), polystyrene- block -poly­(4-vinylpyridine) (PS- b -P2VP), and poly­(acrylonitrile)- block -poly­(ethylene oxide) are also frequently exploited. Nevertheless, most of the reported cases just focused on exploring various inorganic precursors and controlling different mesostructures, in which BCPs only play the monotonic role as structure-directing agents (template).…”