Exploring water−macromolecule interactions at the single-molecule level: A comprehensive review

Water is ubiquitous and indispensable on the Earth. Its importance has long been recognized on a macroscopic scale. However, it took a long time to comprehend the impact of water molecules on the microscopic level. According to the hydrophilicity of matter, the impact of water can be divided into tw...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yixuan Shan, Yu Bao, Shuxun Cui
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2024-12-01
Series:Supramolecular Materials
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667240523000314
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Water is ubiquitous and indispensable on the Earth. Its importance has long been recognized on a macroscopic scale. However, it took a long time to comprehend the impact of water molecules on the microscopic level. According to the hydrophilicity of matter, the impact of water can be divided into two categories: 1) intermolecular hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) and 2) hydrophobic interactions. In recent years, atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) has been used to investigate the effect of water on the single-chain properties of macromolecules. Herein, we summarize recent advances in the AFM-SMFS study on the impact of water on some kinds of synthetic polymers, biomacromolecules, and molecules containing supramolecular interactions from the two aspects of H-bonds and hydrophobic interactions. It is expected that a deeper understanding of the interactions between water molecules and macromolecules will enable the design of polymer materials with specific functionalities and properties in a bottom-up way.
ISSN:2667-2405