Biomimetic Self-Assembly of Nanomaterials and Structural Observation using Synchrotron X-ray Techniques

Wei-Tsung Chuang^1,7*, Chien-Lung Wang², Kuan-Yi Wu³, Yu-Chueh Hung⁴, Shu-Ping Chen⁴, Yeo-Wan Chiang⁵, Chun-Chieh Wang¹, Chia-Hsin Wan¹, U-Ser Jeng¹

¹soft matter group, National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsin Chu, Taiwan
²Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsin Chu, Taiwan
³Department of Textile Engineering, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan
⁴Institute of Photonics Technologies, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin Chu, Taiwan
⁵Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
⁶Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
⁷Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan

* Presenter:Wei-Tsung Chuang, email:weitsung@nsrrc.org.tw

Natural systems have evolved over billion years to develop many complex functional materials for life sustaining. Behind these functions, some special structures must exist in. These bio-structures have attracted people's attention, and then many strategies for biomimetic materials have been born. Therefore, the premise of biomimicry must first see the true appearance of these functional structures. How to establish the relationship between structure and performance will be one of the important topics of biomimetic materials. Herein, we used synchrotron X-ray techniques (tomography, scattering and diffraction) to identify structural characterization and to discuss their functional mechanisms. Inspired from nature, polymers and liquid crystals were exploited to design biomimetic nanomaterials through self-assembly aggregation or microphase separation with controlling supramolecular interactions (such as hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction, and amphiphilicity…etc). We verified that ordered arrays of artificial water channels can be fabricated by dual-axis alignment of amphiphilic liquid crystals for desalination. Hierarchical superhelices are, moreover, developed from self-assembly of achiral dendron-jacketed block copolymers for bio-template. Using bioinspired organic/inorganic nanocomposites as electrode materials, we found that the electrode’s structure features as a 3D ant-nest-like framework composed of 2D nacre-like clay nanosheets, i.e. hierarchical layers-within-networks structure, for high performance of all-solid-state flexible supercapacitors. We also design conducting inks with non-Iridescent structural colors inspired from bird’s feathers.

Keywords: biomimetic materials, self-assembly, structural chrarcteriztion