Chien-Lung Wang, National Taiwan University, Taipei

Host: Paul Cremer (865-6259)

"Dual-axis aligned thermophilic artificial water channels formed by water-induced self-assembly"

Abstract: Nature modulates the non-covalent interaction of biomolecules to strengthen their structural integrity against various extreme environments. Water, as the key component in living systems, provides the H-bonded connectivity to readily stabilize the thermophilic proteins toward thermal adaption. However, this strategy has seldom been utilized in synthetic matter since the role of water is less explored in the supramolecular chemistry of synthetic systems. In this study, we design a dendritic amphiphile that forms the hydrated hexagonal columnar (Colh) phase in water-induced self-assembly (WISA).1,2 Characterization data show that the artificial water channels (AWCs) in the hydrated Colh phase contain both the bulk-like and interfacial water in the hydrophilic core of the AWC.3 The H-bonded network of the embedded water molecules makes the AWCs thermophilic and prevents them from isotropization at temperatures even higher than the boiling point of water. Moreover, the weakened H-bonded network at high temperatures accelerates water flow through the dual-axis aligned AWCs and resulted in high water permeabilities. The study thus revealed the essential role of water in enhancing the thermophilic properties of the synthetic soft matter, which allows them to perform better functions at higher temperatures.