摘要：本文通过分析软物质科学发展的趋势,回顾了"纳米原子"与"巨型分子"这类新型软物质材料的发展历程,总结了"纳米原子"的结构特点以及"巨型分子"自组装的若干特色,提出将"纳米原子"作为"巨型分子"的基本"结构子"和"功能子",以实现模块化的精确结构高分子理性设计与精准合成,并进一步实现其可控组装,调节其多级结构(特别是1—100 nm尺度的结构),最终实现其多样的功能化.这种具有高度刚性构型和固定形状尺寸的大分子有别于传统大分子的柔性链式结构,在组装中也呈现出了与传统大分子截然不同的有趣相态和相结构,是大分子科学的一类新元素,值得进行深入研究.

摘要：This essay discusses some preliminary thoughts on the development of a rational and modular approach for molecular design in soft matter engineering and proposes ideas of structural and functional synthons for advanced functional materials. It echoes the Materials Genome Initiative by practicing a tentative retro-functional analysis （RFA） scheme. The importance of hierarchical structures in transferring and amplifying molecular functions into macroscopic properties is recognized and emphasized. According to the role of molecular segments in final materials, there are two types of building blocks： structural synthon and functional synthon. Guided by a specific structure for a desired function, these synthons can be modularly combined in various ways to construct molecular scaffolds. Detailed molecular structures are then deduced, designed and synthesized precisely and modularly. While the assembled structure and property may deviate from the original design, the study may allow further refinement of the molecular design toward the target function, The strategy has been used in the development of soft fullerene materials and other giant molecules. There are a few aspects that are not yet well addressed： （1） function and structure are not fully decoupled and （2） the assembled hierarchical structures are sensitive to secondary interactions and molecular geometries across different length scales. Nevertheless, the RFA approach provides a starting point and an alternative thinking pathway by provoking creativity with considerations from both chemistry and physics. This is particularly useful for engineering soft matters with supramolecular lattice formation, as in giant molecules, where the synthons are relatively independent of each other.

摘要：本文聚焦于一类非传统的高分子结构,也即基于分子纳米粒子(或称纳米原子,nano-atoms)的巨型分子(giant molecules)。分子纳米粒子是具有确定化学组成、分子对称性和表面官能团的三维刚性笼状骨架结构。巨型分子是利用分子纳米粒子基元构筑的具有精确结构的高分子。受到蛋白质中结构域概念的启发,我们提出经过表面官能化修饰的分子纳米粒子可以作为合成高分子的结构域和功能域,通过逆功能分析,结合包括点击化学在内的高效化学反应,来实现巨型分子的快速模块化合成、可控组装和功能评估,并利用其中得到的构效关系,更为系统地理解材料的性质和指导材料的进一步优化设计。同时,这种新型高分子也可被看成是尺寸放大的小分子。它的许多有趣的自组装行为和相应小分子既有相似之处,又有截然不同之处。比如,巨型表面活性剂在溶液中能像小分子表面活性剂一样组装成为尾链被拉伸的胶束,在本体中则像嵌段聚合物一样形成纳米相分离的结构。这些组装展现出对于一级化学结构不同寻常的敏感性,并容易形成一些非传统的罕见相态,包括Frank-Kasper相态、在低分子量层状晶体PEO中出现的非整数折叠以及在溶液组装中出现的多级结构。因此,我们认为巨型分子作为功能材料在将来的技术领域中将具有广阔的应用前景。