ABSTRACT
Figure 6.1 Molecular engineering of supra-amphiphiles. Reproduced with permission of Ref. [4]. Copyright 2011, Royal Society of Chemistry.The molecular engineering of supra-amphiphiles can be divided into two parts. One part is architectural engineering of supra-amphiphiles. Using rational design of building blocks and tuning of different noncovalent interactions, we can construct supra-amphiphiles with various architectures. The other part is functionality engineering of supra-amphiphiles. Functional groups, such as stimuli-responsive moieties, catalytic moieties, and so forth, can be introduced to the supra-amphiphiles by noncovalent interactions. If the formation of supra-amphiphiles is regarded as a first-order self-assembly, it is probable that supra-amphiphiles can function as the building blocks for constructing hierarchically ordered assemblies, in which the organization of the supra-amphiphiles can be classified as second-order self-assembly. The advance of supra-amphiphiles will not only enrich the family of conventional amphiphiles that are formed based on the covalent bonds but also provide a new bridge between the colloidal and supramolecular sciences. In addition, functional groups can be introduced into the supra-amphiphiles, thus providing a new avenue to assemble nanostructured soft materials with well-defined nanostructures.
