Shapeshifting Molecular Materials

这项研究将研究“变形分子”的性质--快速重新排列其结构的单分子。打个比方，这些分子重排可以比作在不同维度上扭曲魔方。在每一次“扭转”之后，下一次“扭转”可能发生在三个维度中的任何一个维度。因此，这个结构可以非常迅速地在数千种可能的情况下‘争先恐后’，每种可能性的形状都有细微的不同。我们假设，这些分子的不同寻常的形变重排将产生独特的材料性质。为了研究这一想法，我们将合成液晶、表面活性剂和含有变形单元的聚合物。通过对这些材料的分析，我们将确定分子水平上的形状变化是否会导致更大长度的动态形状。到拨款结束时，我们将确定变形单元是否具有在软材料中开发的潜力。这些基础的化学进展将建立一个新的研究领域，将在材料物理和工程中产生广泛的影响。

This research will investigate the properties of 'shapeshifting molecules' - single molecules that rapidly rearrange their structures. As an analogy, these molecular rearrangements can be likened to twisting a Rubik's cubes in different dimensions. After each 'twist' occurs, the next 'twist' can occur in any of three dimensions. As a result, the structure can very quickly 'scramble' between thousands of possibilities, each with subtly different shapes. We hypothesise that the unusual shapeshifting rearrangements of these molecules will give rise to unique materials properties. To investigate this idea, we will synthesise liquid crystals, surfactants, and polymers containing shapeshifting units. By analysing these materials, we will determine if the shape changing at the molecular level leads to dynamic shapes at larger length scales.By the end of the grant, we will have established whether shapeshifting units have potential to be exploited in soft materials. These fundamental, chemical advances will establish a new research area that will have broad impacts in materials physics and engineering.