A unique molecular nano weave has been created this month by researchers led by Professor Helma Wennemers at the Laboratory for Organic Chemistry. It was made from an entirely organic molecule that intertwines and threads due to its unique properties. This intertwining is what makes woven materials so strong. With this principle in mind, researchers applied it to molecular systems so they could produce stable nanomaterials with the help of metals.
Taking this one step further is Professor Wennemers and her group. Teaming up with Professor Klaus Mullen at the MPI for Polymer Research in Mainz, they set to work producing the world’s first nano weave that’s made of pure organic materials. The molecular weave consists of two overlaid warp threads and a weft thread that stitches it all together. This type of structure is known as a kagome in Japanese basketry.
The nano weave consists of threads made from the same organic building block, whose basis is a helical-shaped peptide. Then, there are two perylene-monoamides attached to either end which is well known for being able to adhere together. Originally these building blocks are pre-organized into long threads, but when left to cool in solution, they begin to self-assemble until a perfect triaxial kagome weave has been made. The Kagome matrix is one that is easily recognizable using an electron microscope.
“The perfect interplay between the molecular building blocks allowed us to create a new, self-assembling weave with a fascinating topology,” says Wennemers. “The study also showed that – as in macroscopic woven objects – the nano weave is more robust than the individual threads it is made from.” Moving forward, the weave could even be used to develop innovative catalysts or as applications in sensor technology.
Research Via Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
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