PhD fellow in Hybrid Nanostructures Based on Polymer-Ions Interaction
Project summary
Highly charged molecules and nano-assemblies serve as unique building blocks in nanochemistry. Bulky and multivalent ions are known to readily condense on polyelectrolyte chains or brushes. Such ions are therefore capable to co-assemble with double-hydrophilic block copolymers into core/shell nanoparticles. It brings new function into the system and also introduces sensitivity to external stimuli, both depending on the nature of the charged specie. Besides co-assembling with polymers, a structure of hydration shell and a propensity of ions to specific interactions are interesting per se. It can lead to a complex solution behavior and the corresponding formation of nano-aggregates.
Skills in nanochemistry and synthetic chemistry are welcomed!
Three relevant publications of the research group
Fernandez-Alvarez R., Dordovic V., Uchman M., Matejicek P.: Amphiphiles without Head-and-Tail Design: Nanostructures Based on the Self-Assembly of Anionic Boron Cluster Compounds. Langmuir 2018, 34, 3541-3554.
Dordovic V., Uchman M., Reza M., Ruokolainen J., Zhigunov, A., Ivankov O.I., Matejicek P.: Cation-sensitive compartmentalization in metallacarborane containing polymer nanoparticles. RSC Advances 2016, 6, 9684–9892.
Uchman M., Dordovic V, Tosner Z., Matejicek P.; Classical Amphiphilic Behavior of Nonclassical Amphiphiles: A Comparison of Metallacarborane Self-Assembly with SDS Micellization. Angewandte Chemie-International Edition 2015, 54, 14113–14117.
Current research grants of the group
Czech Science Foundation grants: 17-00648S “Chaotrope, hydrotrope or surfactant? Anionic boron cluster compounds in water and in complexes with polymers” ends in 2019, and 19-13458S “Nanomaterials based on co-assembly of triblock copolymers with macroions and other atypical ions” 2019-2021.
