Abstract
High-resolution structures are crucial for understanding the functional properties of nanomaterials. We applied single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), a method traditionally used for structure determination of biological macromolecules, to obtain high-resolution structures of synthetic non-biological filaments formed by photopolymerization of macrocyclic diacetylene (MDA) amphiphilic monomers. Tomographic analysis showed that the MDA monomers self-assemble into hollow nanotubes upon dispersion in water. Single-particle analysis revealed tubes consisting of six pairs of covalently bonded filaments held together by hydrophobic interactions, where each filament is composed of macrocyclic rings stacked in parallel "chair"conformations. The hollow MDA nanotube structures we found may account for the efficient scavenging of amphiphilic pollutants in water and subsequent photodegradation of the guest species.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 17889-17896 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of the American Chemical Society |
Volume | 144 |
Issue number | 39 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 5 Oct 2022 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Catalysis
- General Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Colloid and Surface Chemistry