Shapeshifting Molecular Materials

这项研究将调查“变形分子”的特性——快速重新排列其结构的单个分子。作为一个类比，这些分子的重排可以比作在不同的维度上扭曲魔方。每次“扭曲”发生后，下一个“扭曲”可以发生在任何三维空间中。因此，结构可以非常迅速地在数千种可能性之间“混乱”，每种可能性都有微妙的不同形状。我们假设这些分子不寻常的变形重排将产生独特的材料特性。为了研究这个想法，我们将合成含有变形单元的液晶、表面活性剂和聚合物。通过分析这些材料，我们将确定在分子水平上的形状变化是否会导致更大长度尺度上的动态形状。在拨款结束时，我们将确定变形单元是否有潜力在软材料中开发。这些基本的化学进展将建立一个新的研究领域，对材料物理和工程产生广泛的影响。

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.