作为非常重要的软物质材料,超分子聚合物凝胶代表了一个全新的概念和更复杂的凝胶体系.这种新型的超分子体系的构建,是基于多种非共价相互作用协同的多层次组装.即小分子构筑基元首先组装成为超分子聚合物,而这些非共价聚合物的多层次组装形成凝胶的纳米结构.超分子聚合物凝胶无论是在结构上,还是在性能上都具有很多崭新的特点.因此,尽管有关超分子聚合物凝胶的研究开展的时间还很短,这一体系所表现出的独特性以及巨大潜力已经引起科学家们越来越广泛的关注.本文简要综述了这一领域的最新进展.主要论述基于多种非共价相互作用的超分子聚合物凝胶的构建以及对其力学性能的调控.
As one of the most important soft matters, "supramolecular polymer gel" represents a new concept and more complex gel systems. The construction of these novel supramolecular systems can be based on the hierarchical assembly via different non-covalent interactions. In this case, molecular building blocks can assembly into supramolecular polymers, and then the hierarchical assembly of the corresponding supramolecular polymers can form gels. Actually, the meaning of "supramolecular polymer gels" has been greatly expanded. Thus, although the essential supramolecular polymer gels can be physical gels constructed by self-assembled synthetic polymers, this definition is now more frequently referred to as the gels with supramolecular polymers working as gelators. While these supramolecular polymers can be fabricated based on the self-assembly of low- molecular-weight building blocks, not only covalent polymers. In this context, the building blocks, which are used to form general supramolecular polymer gels, can be covalent polymers, oligomers or small organic molecules. Certainly, building block is only one aspect for understanding "supramolecular polymer gels", the manner of self-assembly is the master key for constructing this type of soft matters. The typical features of "supramolecular polymer gels" can be the complex hierarchical self-assembly of different molecular building blocks within these systems. Whatever covalent polymers or low-molecular-weight organic molecules working as building blocks, much more elaborate molecular packing modes are necessary for the formation of the supramolecular polymer gels. These supramolecular polymer gels have novel nanostructures and properties. For example, some supramolecular polymer gel systems have good dynamic and reversible characteristics with excellent mechanical properties. Although the study on the supramolecular polymer gels has only just begun, it is still attracting more and more interests recently due to their special properties and great applicatio