Nanoarchitectonic Design of Complex Materials Using Polymer Brushes as Structural and Functional Units

M. LORENA CORTEZ; GISELA DÍAZ; WALDEMAR A. MARMISOLLÉ; JUAN M. GIUSSI; OMAR AZZARONI

Polymer and Biopolymer Brushes for Materials Science and Biotechnology

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Lugar: Hoboken; Año: 2018; p. 735 - 758

Many materials exhibit structures on multiple length scales?from nano tomacro; indeed, in some materials, the structural and functional units themselveshave structure.1 This structural hierarchy can play a major part in determiningtheir macroscopic properties and concomitantly guide the synthesis ofnew materials for specific applications. The science behind hierarchical andhybrid materials spans over multiple approaches. Let us think for a momentof how Nature deals with hierarchical and complex structures. For biomaterialsinvolved in interfacial processes, common geometries include capillaries,dendrites, globules, hair-like, or fin-like attachments supported on larger substrates.2 From many years now, significant efforts have been directed towardthe fabrication of functional materials involving multiple length scales andfunctionalities in close resemblance to Nature. For example, porous fibrousstructures can behave like lightweight solids. Depending on what is attachedon their surfaces, these core structures can act as multishape-active composites.If nanobuilding blocks can be linked to other nanomaterials, then theresulting material could act synergistically to express enhanced functions fromdifferent counterparts. This concept integrating chemistry and form opensup the possibility of taking a functional material of any shape and size toafford new materials with concerted functions.