ORGS3-1127
Control of Frank–Kasper Mesocrystals in Dendron Assemblies through Core Interactions and Shell Constraints
Topic
GS3. Graduate Student Oral Session III: Polymer Synthesis, Structure, Properties, and Processing
When and Where
Sep 28, 2026
14:12 - 14:24
Room 103
Session Chairs
Jiwon KIM
Junmin LEE
Youngwoon KO
Presenter(s)
Junsu Kim (Yonsei University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Soft molecular spheres can form complex Frank-Kasper (FK) mesocrystals by adjusting their size, shape, and coordination environments. Dendron assemblies offer a useful platform for examining this behavior because both the core-apex interaction and peripheral shell structure can be systematically tuned. In C12 alkyl dendrons, variation of apex functionality modulated hydrogen bonding and polar interactions, changing particle softness and enabling diverse FK phases including A15, DDQC, σ and C14 phases. In G2-C8CF4-X dendrons, the same design principle was extended to a semifluorinated peripheral shell that imposes a deformation-limited packing constraint. Under the identical C8CF4 shell, stronger apex interactions were associated with tetragonal σ phases, whereas weakened apex interaction was associated with cubic A15 formation. Voronoi-cell analysis revealed that the σ and A15 phases accommodate the same shell constraint through distinct relaxation pathways. The σ phases exhibited larger particle-volume dispersity and multiple coordination environments, while the A15 phase maintained lower volume dispersity but allowed greater particle-shape deformation. These results showed that FK phase selection in dendron assemblies was closely related to the coupled balance between apex-dependent core softness and peripheral shell deformability.
