Seeing mesoatomic distortions in soft-matter crystals of a double-gyroid block copolymer

The integration of molecular photosensitizers and catalysts into functional soft matter supports holds great promise for future energy conversion technologies.

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Symmetry-breaking in double gyroid block copolymer films by non-affine distortion

Applied Materials Today ◽

10.1016/j.apmt.2021.101006 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 ◽

pp. 101006

Author(s):

Seungyun Jo ◽

Haedong Park ◽

Taesuk Jun ◽

Kwangjin Kim ◽

Hyunsoo Jung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Block Copolymer ◽

Symmetry Breaking ◽

Copolymer Films ◽

Double Gyroid

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Paraspeckles are constructed as block copolymer micelles through microphase separation

10.1101/2020.11.02.366021 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Tomohiro Yamazaki ◽

Tetsuya Yamamoto ◽

Hyura Yoshino ◽

Sylvie Souquere ◽

Shinichi Nakagawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Block Copolymer ◽

Soft Matter ◽

Microphase Separation ◽

Theoretical Framework ◽

Internal Organization ◽

Ribonucleoprotein Complexes ◽

Block Copolymer Micelles ◽

Copolymer Micelles ◽

Rna Domains ◽

Soft Matter Physics

SummaryParaspeckles are constructed by NEAT1_2 architectural long noncoding RNAs and possess characteristic cylindrical shapes with highly ordered internal organization, distinct from typical liquid–liquid phase-separated condensates. We experimentally and theoretically investigated how the shape and organization of paraspeckles are determined. We identified the NEAT1_2 RNA domains responsible for shell localization of the NEAT1_2 ends, which determine the characteristic internal organization. We then applied a theoretical framework using soft matter physics to understand the principles that determine the NEAT1_2 organization, shape, number, and size of paraspeckles. By treating paraspeckles as amphipathic block copolymer micelles, we could explain and predict the experimentally observed behaviors of paraspeckles upon NEAT1_2 domain deletions or transcriptional modulation. Thus, we propose that paraspeckles are block copolymer micelles assembled through microphase separation. This work provides an experimentally-based theoretical framework for the concept that ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) can act as block copolymers to form RNA-scaffolding microphase-separated condensates in cells.

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Collapse of theIa3¯dcubic symmetry by uniaxial stretching of a double-gyroid block copolymer

Physical Review E ◽

10.1103/physreve.63.061803 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 63 (6) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Shinichi Sakurai ◽

Daisuke Isobe ◽

Shigeru Okamoto ◽

Takeshi Yao ◽

Shunji Nomura

Keyword(s):

Block Copolymer ◽

Uniaxial Stretching ◽

Double Gyroid

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Correlative infrared nanospectroscopic and nanomechanical imaging of block copolymer microdomains

Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology ◽

10.3762/bjnano.7.53 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 605-612 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Benjamin Pollard ◽

Markus B Raschke

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Block Copolymer ◽

Soft Matter ◽

Near Field ◽

Structural Variations ◽

Nanoscale Material ◽

Correlative Analysis ◽

Complex Structural ◽

Signal Channel

Intermolecular interactions and nanoscale phase separation govern the properties of many molecular soft-matter systems. Here, we combine infrared vibrational scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (IR s-SNOM) with force–distance spectroscopy for simultaneous characterization of both nanoscale optical and nanomechanical molecular properties through hybrid imaging. The resulting multichannel images and correlative analysis of chemical composition, spectral IR line shape, modulus, adhesion, deformation, and dissipation acquired for a thin film of a nanophase separated block copolymer (PS-b-PMMA) reveal complex structural variations, in particular at domain interfaces, not resolved in any individual signal channel alone. These variations suggest that regions of multicomponent chemical composition, such as the interfacial mixing regions between microdomains, are correlated with high spatial heterogeneity in nanoscale material properties.

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Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym12040794 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 794

Author(s):

Volker Abetz

Keyword(s):

Block Copolymer ◽

Block Copolymers ◽

Self Assembly ◽

Soft Matter ◽

Ordered Structures

Block copolymers and block-copolymer-containing blends represent a fascinating class of soft matter and can self-assemble in a variety of ordered structures on the mesoscale [...]

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Anatomy of triply-periodic network assemblies: characterizing skeletal and inter-domain surface geometry of block copolymer gyroids

Soft Matter ◽

10.1039/c8sm00078f ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (18) ◽

pp. 3612-3623 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Ishan Prasad ◽

Hiroshi Jinnai ◽

Rong-Ming Ho ◽

Edwin L. Thomas ◽

Gregory M. Grason

Keyword(s):

Block Copolymer ◽

Triblock Copolymers ◽

Surface Geometry ◽

Material Surfaces ◽

Triply Periodic ◽

Double Gyroid

Mesogeometric anatomy – 2D inter-material surfaces and 1D skeletons – extracted from triply-periodic, double-gyroid network assembled from triblock copolymers.

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Bi-continuous orthorhombic soft matter phase made of polycatenar molecules

Soft Matter ◽

10.1039/d0sm00331j ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (16) ◽

pp. 3882-3885 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joanna Matraszek ◽

Damian Pociecha ◽

Nataša Vaupotič ◽

Mirosław Salamończyk ◽

Martin Vogrin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intermediate State ◽

Soft Matter ◽

Columnar Phase ◽

Double Gyroid ◽

Matter Phase ◽

Slight Deformation

A slight deformation of a double gyroid structure of a cubic Ia3̄d phase results in the formation of a phase with an orthorhombic Pcab symmetry. The phase seems to be an intermediate state towards a columnar phase made of helical pillars.

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