Schiff Base bond (imine bond) is a kind of dynamic covalent bond. Compared to electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bond and other non-covalent bonds, Schiff base bond endows the assembly with higher stability, allowing it to withstand harsh conditions. Compared to conventional covalent bond, Schiff base reaction proceeds under ambient conditions without activation and involves only water as by-product that contamination of the assemblies by impurities was avoided, which is essential for fabrication of certain sensors and reactors. Besides, the formation of Schiff base bond enables the assemblies with autofluorescence and pH-sensitivity. All these merits make Schiff base interactions attractive in multilayer assembly with the LbL method, especially for those applied in biomedicine.

Supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Institute of Chemistry, Professor Junbai Li’s group in the CAS Key Lab of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics has made a series of progresses on molecular assembly based on Schiff base interactions. (Adv. Funct. Mater. 2012, 22, 1446; ACS Nano 2012, 6, 6897; Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 1175; Nanoscale 2015, 7, 82; Biomaterials 2009, 30, 2799; Biomacromolecules 2009, 10, 1212; Adv. Mater. 2008, 20, 601).

Recently, this group reported these research findings on the famous review journal of American Chemical Society: Chemical Reviews (2015, 115, 1597-1621) entitled as “Molecular Assembly of Schiff Base Interactions: Construction and Application”. This review article covered the most recent research work in the field of molecular assembly based on Schiff Base Interactions and their applications in biomedicine.

Chemical Reviews (2015, 115, 1597-1621)

Molecular Assembly of Schiff Base Interactions: Construction and Application