CHEM 773/7730 - Aqueous Self-Assembly

Semester: Fall 2025

Professor: X. Wang | Discipline: Polymer | Campus: Waterloo

Description

The course will introduce the recent progress in aqueous supramolecular chemistry. The teaching will start with non-covalent interactions, self-assembly, and related characterization techniques. Recent progress in living self-assembly will be subsequently discussed. After building up the knowledge of supramolecular chemistry, we will discuss whether water, in addition to acting as a solvent, is actively involved in supramolecular chemistry and how to address this question via Students are expected to read literature and develop self-learning skills.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will learn how to synthesize nanomaterials using block copolymers and be able to discuss recent progress in the field of aqueous supramolecular chemistry.

Materials

  • Teaching slides
  • Gohy, JF Block copolymer micelles, Advances in Polymer Science, 2005, Volume: 190, Pages:136
  • Qian J.S. Zhang M. Manners I. Winnik MA Nanofiber micelles from the self assembly of block copolymers, Trends in biotechnology, 2010, 28, 84-92
  • Chaplin M. Do we underestimate the importance of water in cell biology? Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. 2006;7(11):861-6.
  • Stöhr M, Tkatchenko A. Quantum mechanics of proteins in explicit water: The role of plasmon-like solute-solvent interactions. Science Advances. 2019;5(12):eaax0024.
  • Ball P. Water is an active matrix of life for cell and molecular biology. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2017;114(51):13327-35.
  • Dill KA. The Meaning of Hydrophobicity. Science. 1990;250(4978):297-8.
  • Ben-Amotz D. Hydrophobic Ambivalence: Teetering on the Edge of Randomness. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. 2015;6(9):1696-701.
  • Underwood R, Tomlinson-Phillips J, Ben-Amotz D. Are Long-Chain Alkanes Hydrophilic? The Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 2010;114(26):8646-51.
  • Ben-Amotz D. Water-Mediated Hydrophobic Interactions. Annual Review of Physical Chemistry. 2016;67(1):617-38.
  • Deshmukh SA, Solomon LA, Kamath G, Fry HC, Sankaranarayanan SKRS. Water ordering controls the dynamic equilibrium of micelle–fibre formation in self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles. Nature Communications. 2016;7:12367.
  • Chong S-H, Ham S. Impact of chemical heterogeneity on protein self-assembly in water. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2012;109(20):7636-41.
  • Conti Nibali V, Pezzotti S, Sebastiani F, Galimberti DR, Schwaab G, Heyden M, et al. Wrapping up Hydrophobic Hydration–Locality Matters. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. 2020.
  • Monroe J, Barry M, DeStefano A, Aydogan Gokturk P, Jiao S, Robinson-Brown D, et al. Water Structure and Properties at Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Surfaces. Annual review of chemical and biomolecular engineering. 2020;11:523-57.
  • Reddy KD, Biswas R. Hydrophobic Hydration: A Theoretical Investigation of Structure and Dynamics. Journal of Chemical Sciences. 2023;135(1):5.
  • Ben-Amotz D, Underwood R. Unraveling water’s entropic mysteries: a unified view of nonpolar, polar, and ionic hydration. Acc Chem Res. 2008;41(8):957-67.

Evaluation

Final Exam – Hydrophobic Effects Report (60%)

Length: 2–5 pages (your choice: concise or detailed)

Grading Breakdown:

  1. English Quality & Logic Flow – 50%
    • Ensure clear sentence structure, coherent paragraphs, and a logical argument.
    • Structure: Introduction → Concept Explanation → Mechanism → Examples → Conclusion.
  2. Abstract – 30%
    • Write a brief, sharp abstract (about 150–200 words max).
    • It should summarize the main concept, mechanisms, and key conclusions.
  3. Literature Support – 20%
    • Reference at least 3–5 relevant studies or reviews.
    • Use peer-reviewed articles (e.g., Nature, JACS, Langmuir, Chem. Rev.).

Tips:

  • Define hydrophobic effect, its thermodynamic basis, and how it drives molecular assembly.
  • Discuss biological relevance (e.g., protein folding) or material science applications.
  • Cite sources properly (APA, ACS, or any required style).

Term Paper – Block Copolymer Self-Assembly (30%)

Length: 3–5 pages

Grading Breakdown:

  1. English Quality & Logic Flow – 50%
    • Write clearly and fluently. Keep each paragraph focused on one idea.
    • Use diagrams or figures if allowed (with captions).
  2. Content Review – 30%
    • Cover key concepts from lectures:
      • Amphiphilicity
      • Microphase separation
      • Morphologies (micelles, vesicles, lamellae)
      • Thermodynamics of self-assembly
  3. Proposed Application – 20%
    • Suggest a novel application using block copolymers:
      • Drug delivery nanocarriers
      • Smart coatings
      • Photonic crystals
      • Membranes for filtration or energy

Tips:

  • Review recent papers on copolymer nanostructures and their engineering potential.
  • Explain why your proposed application is promising.

Presentation & Discussion (10% + 10%) = 20%

  • What’s expected:
    • Read assigned literature before class.
    • Come prepared to raise thoughtful questions or highlight connections.
    • Be actively involved, even if briefly, in each session.
  • Grading Insight:
    • This is mostly participation-based, so effort and attitude matter more than correctness.

Lab/Project

      • Introduction to self-assembly and characterization techniques for assemblies (ca. 4-6 lectures)
      • Block copolymer self-assembling behavior and self-assembled morphologies (ca. 6-8 lectures)
        Crew-cut block copolymer micelles; Living self-assembly; Living supramolecular polymerization
      • Hydrophobic effects in supramolecular chemistry (6-8 lectures)
        Structure of water; hydration water; hydration shell; hydrophobic effects in assemblies
    • Recent experimental research in aqueous self-assembly (8-10)

Schedule

  • Tue: 8:30 am - 9:50 am in MC 4042
  • Thu: 8:30 am - 9:50 am in MC 4042

Office Hours

email:[email protected] Contact preferences: appointment via email