Mesoscopic Supramolecular Assembly – 3D-patterned building blocks for colloidal self-organization

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Alexander Kühne
• Subject Area: Polymer Materials ; Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials ; Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 517110644

In this project, we will develop material systems to produce mesoscopic 3-dimensionally structured building blocks in the micrometer range. The building blocks will be decorated with supramolecular host and guest groups to facilitate multivalent interactions for programmed and directed self-assembly. We will make use materials for the building blocks that are susceptible to temperature and other stimuli to enable shape morphing in the assembled state. Furthermore, we will employ orthogonal triggers such as light and redox to allow disassembly and reshuffling of the building blocks into different architecture dependent on the sequence of switching. This way, we will achieve new material systems for future applications in soft-robotics or reconfigurable tissue scaffolds.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants