About Supramolecular Assemblies of π-Conjugated Systems

Self-assembled single- and double-stack pi-aggregates of chlorophyll derivatives on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite

The highly efficient, light-harvesting antennae systems present in chlorosomes of green phototrophic bacteria, such as Chloroflexus aurantiacus, serve as a model for the design of bioinspired nanostructured materials. A semisynthetic zinc chlorin, derived from natural chlorophyll a, is used as a building block that self-assembles into excitonically coupled chromophore stacks. Temperature-dependent UV/Vis and circular dichroism spectroscopic measurements show the reversible formation of soluble chiral aggregates of this new zinc chlorin dye. High-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy studies reveal the formation of two types of well-ordered pi-stacked aggregates on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite.

Organogels of 8-Quinolinol/Metal(II)–Chelate Derivatives That Show Electron- and Light-Emitting Properties

8-quinolinol/copper(II)-, palladium(II)-, and platinum(II)-chelate-based organogelators (1 M) and their nongelling reference compounds (2 M) were synthesized. Complexes 1 M could gelate various organic solvents at very low concentrations. Electron microscope measurements gave visual images of well-developed fibrous structures characteristic of low-molecular-weight organogels. UV/Vis and FTIR spectroscopy revealed that the good gelation ability of 1 M arises from the pi-pi interactions of the chelate moieties and the hydrogen-bond interactions among the amide groups. Very interestingly, field emission performances of the nanofibers prepared from the 1 M gels are evidently different depending on the electronic states of the three kinds of central metals. In addition, the 1 Pt gel shows unique thermo- and solvatochromism of visible and phosphorescent color in response to a sol-gel phase transition. Furthermore, the 1 Pt gel possesses an attractive ability to inhibit dioxygen quenching of excited triplet states, which increases the phosphorescence quantum yield of this gel. This effect is attributed to the isolation effect of the phosphorescent chelate moiety from the dioxygen-containing solution phase.

Dendritic Morphology in Homeotropically Aligned Discotic Films

A hexa-alkylether-substituted hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene, as a discotic liquid crystal, spontaneously homeotropically self-orients when cooled from the isotropic phase. During this process, a dendritic morphology is formed in which a significant optical difference is observed between the dendritic shapes and their periphery. However, local structural analysis using microfocus synchrotron radiation experiments demonstrate that there is an identical supramolecular order in both areas. Three-dimensional confocal surface measurements reveal that these dendritic structures result from a dewetting process, which occurs during solidification. Thereby, the contact area between the organic material and the surface is reduced. These results are important for the design of organic electronics, since the reduction of the contact area in an electronic device might inhibit the charge transport between the discotic semiconductor and the electrode.

Micro- and nanometer-scale porous, fibrous, and sheet architectures constructed by supramolecular assemblies of dipyrrolyldiketones

X-ray analysis of some 1,3-dipyrrolyl-1,3-propanediones synthesized from pyrroles and malonyl chloride derivatives revealed 1D supramolecular networks formed by N-H...O=C interactions in the solid state. Micro- and nanometer-scale morphologies of porous, fibrous, and sheet structures were fabricated by hydrogen-bonding interactions and determined by fine-tuning the substituents and the solvents used. Of the unique polymorphs, ordered 2D lamellar sheet structures of the derivatives with long alkyl chains (C16H33, C14H29, and so on) were constructed by van der Waals hydrophobic effects between aliphatic chains as well as hydrogen bonding.

Simultaneous self-assembly, orientation, and patterning of peptide-amphiphile nanofibers by soft lithography

Self-assembled nanofibers of peptide-amphiphile molecules have been of great interest because of their bioactivity both in vitro and in vivo. In this work, we demonstrate the simultaneous self-assembly, alignment, and patterning of these nanofibers over large areas by a novel technique termed sonication-assisted solution embossing. In this soft lithographic technique, the nanostructures self-assemble by solvent evaporation while under the influence of ultrasonic agitation and confinement within the topographical features of an elastomeric stamp. The nanofibers orient parallel to the channels as they assemble out of solution, yielding bundles of aligned nanofibers on the substrate after the stamp is removed. Alignment is likely a result of steric confinement and possibly a transition to a lyotropic liquid crystalline phase as solvent evaporates. This technique is not limited to uniaxial alignment and is shown to be able to guide nanofibers around turns. Alignment of nanostructures by this method introduces the possibility of controlling macroscale cellular behavior or material properties by tuning the directionality of interactions at the nanoscale.

Understanding of Assembly Phenomena by Aromatic−Aromatic Interactions: Benzene Dimer and the Substituted Systems

Interactions involving aromatic rings are important in molecular/biomolecular assembly and engineering. As a consequence, there have been a number of investigations on dimers involving benzene or other substituted pi systems. In this Feature Article, we examine the relevance of the magnitudes of their attractive and repulsive interaction energy components in governing the geometries of several pi-pi systems. The geometries and the associated binding energies were evaluated at the complete basis set (CBS) limit of coupled cluster theory with singles, doubles, and perturbative triples excitations [CCSD(T)] using a least biased scheme for the given data set. The results for the benzene dimer indicate that the floppy T-shaped structure (center-to-center distance: 4.96 A, with an axial benzene off-centered above the facial benzene) is isoenergetic in zero-point-energy (ZPE) corrected binding energy (D0) to the displaced-stacked structure (vertical interplanar distance: 3.54 A). However, the T-shaped structure is likely to be slightly more stable (D0 approximately equal to 2.4-2.5 kcal/mol) if quadruple excitations are included in the coupled cluster calculations. The presence of substituents on the aromatic ring, irrespective of their electron withdrawing or donating nature, leads to an increase in the binding energy, and the displaced-stacked conformations are more stabilized than the T-shaped conformers. This explains the wide prevalence of displaced stacked structures in organic crystals. Despite that the dispersion energy is dominating, the substituent as well as the conformational effects are correlated to the electrostatic interaction. This electrostatic origin implies that the substituent effect would be reduced in polar solution, but important in apolar media, in particular, for assembling processes.

Self-Assembly of an Alkylated Guanosine Derivative into Ordered Supramolecular Nanoribbons in Solution and on Solid Surfaces

We report on the synthesis and self-assembly of a guanosine derivative bearing an alkyloxy side group under different environmental conditions. This derivative was found to spontaneously form ordered supramolecular nanoribbons in which the individual nucleobases are interacting through H-bonds. In toluene and chloroform solutions the formation of gel-like liquid-crystalline phases was observed. Sub-molecularly resolved scanning tunneling microscopic imaging of monolayers physisorbed at the graphite-solution interface revealed highly ordered two-dimensional networks. The recorded intramolecular contrast can be ascribed to the electronic properties of the different moieties composing the molecule, as proven by quantum-chemical calculations. This self-assembly behavior is in excellent agreement with that of 5'-O-acylated guanosines, which are also characterized by a self-assembled motif of guanosines that resembles parallel ribbons. Therefore, for guanosine derivatives (without sterically demanding groups on the guanine base) the formation of supramolecular nanoribbons in solution, in the solid state, and on flat surfaces is universal. This result is truly important in view of the electronic properties of these supramolecular anisotropic architectures and thus for potential applications in the fields of nano- and opto-electronics.

Self-assembly of conjugated polymers and ds-oligonucleotides directed fractal-like aggregates

Highly ordered nanostructures between conjugated polymers and ds-oligonucleotides have been first fabricated by simply controlling the self-assembly processes, which shows a novel concept for fabricating fractal-like structures. The formation of polymer/DNA fractal-like aggregates is a diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) process. The fractal dimension is independent of the polymer/DNA concentration but only related to the polymer/DNA charge ratio. More interestingly, the different fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) behavior between the polymer and the DNA can be used to distinguish dsDNA from ssDNA.

Self-Assembly of Semifluorinated Minidendrons Attached to Electron-Acceptor Groups into Pyramidal Columns

The synthesis and self-assembly of twelve semifluorinated first-generation dendrons or minidendrons attached to electron-acceptor (n-type) groups generated from various combinations of eight acceptors and three dendrons are reported. Dendrons attached to small electron-acceptor molecules mediate their self-assembly into pi-stacks located in the center of a supramolecular helical pyramidal column with the long axis of the acceptor perpendicular to the long axis of the column. Dendrons attached to large electron-acceptor molecules, such as perylene bisimide, mediate the assembly of their acceptors in an unprecedented arrangement of pi-stacks that have the long axis of the acceptors parallel to the long axis of the supramolecular pyramidal column. All supramolecular columns self-organize into various periodic columnar arrays that exhibit liquid-crystalline phases, crystalline phases, or a liquid-crystalline phase with enhanced intracolumnar order. The present study demonstrates the simplicity and the versatility of the concept of assembly of n-type electroactive groups mediated by semifluorinated dendrons and assesses the scope and limitations of this supramolecular strategy.

Anharmonic magnetic deformation of self-assembled molecular nanocapsules

High magnetic fields were used to deform spherical nanocapsules, self-assembled from bolaamphiphilic sexithiophene molecules. At low fields the deformation--measured through linear birefringence-scales quadratically with the capsule radius and with the magnetic field strength. These data confirm a long standing theoretical prediction [W. Helfrich, Phys. Lett. A 43, 409 (1973)10.1016/0375-9601(73)90396-4], and permit the determination of the bending rigidity of the capsules as (2.6+/-0.8) x 10(-21) J. At high fields, an enhanced rigidity is found which cannot be explained within the Helfrich model. We propose a complete form of the free energy functional that accounts for this behavior, and allows discussion of the formation and stability of nanocapsules in solution.

Chiral aggregates formed from methylated tetraenoic fatty acids: formation of both antipodes of chiral aggregates from a single enantiomer and time-dependent stereomutation

Formation and behaviors of chiral aggregates of methylated tetraenoic fatty acids (TE-FAs) were reported. In the C-24 TE-FA series, the aggregate prepared by dispersing an ethanol stock solution of C-24 TE-FA 1b into sodium phosphate buffer gave a strong positive Cotton effect, whereas the aggregate prepared from a methanol stock solution gave a negative Cotton effect. In the C-20 TE-FA series, the aggregate prepared from an ethanol stock solution of C-20 TE-FA 2b exhibited time-dependent chirality inversion. [see text].

Fabrication of field-effect transistors from hexathiapentacene single-crystal nanowires

This paper describes a simple, solution-phase route to the synthesis of bulk quantities of hexathiapentacene (HTP) single-crystal nanowires. These nanowires have also been successfully incorporated as the semiconducting material in field-effect transistors (FETs). For devices based on single nanowires, the carrier mobilities and current on/off ratios could be as high as 0.27 cm2/Vs and >103, respectively. For transistors fabricated from a network of nanowires, the mobilities and current on/off ratios could reach 0.057 cm2/Vs and >104, respectively. We have further demonstrated the use of nanowire networks in fabricating transistors on mechanically flexible substrates. Preliminary results show that these devices could withstand mechanical strain and still remain functional. The results from this study demonstrate the potential of utilizing solution-dispersible, nanostructured organic materials for use in low-cost, flexible electronic applications.

Progress in Polydiacetylene Nanowires by Self-Assembly and SelfPolymerization

In recent years, there has been immense interest in studying nanoscale aggregate structures derived from various polydiacetylenes (PDAs). The motivation for this is not only to understand the fundamental aggregate structures at different scales, but also to explore their potential for future technological applications. PDAs have been made sensitive to external stimuli such as light and chemical entities by incorporating a spectroscopically active moiety or a receptor unit as the head group of the PDA molecule. This makes them suitable for applications such as sensing and actuating. Furthermore, owing to the delocalization of pi-conjugated electrons, PDAs have been exploited as good candidates for organic nonlinear optical materials. This Focus Review highlights some of the instructive work done by various groups to develop well-defined one-dimensional assembly systems with a highly structural aspect ratio, which can be directly imaged by microscopic techniques.

Formation of dense self-assembled monolayers of (n-decyl)trichlorosilanes on Ta/Ta2O5

Tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) is a promising material for the realization of biological interfaces because of its high dielectric constant, its high chemical stability, and its excellent passivating properties. Nevertheless, the deposition of highly organized silane SAMs to realize well-defined and tailored Ta2O5-based (bio)interfaces, has not been studied in great detail as of yet. In this work, we have investigated the formation of a highly ordered, dense monolayer of trichlorosilanes on Ta2O5 surfaces. Specifically, two different cleaning procedures for Ta2O5 were compared and (n-decyl)trichlorosilane (DTS) was used to study the effect of both cleaning methods on the silanization of Ta2O5. Both types of cleaning allowed the formation of complete and crystalline DTS monolayers on Ta2O5, in contrast with the incomplete, disordered silane layer assembled on uncleaned Ta2O5. The deposited self-assembled monolayers were studied by means of contact angle goniometry, Brewster angle FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and ellipsometry. Infrared analysis exhibited a highly ordered DTS silane film on Ta2O5 and indicated a larger tilt angle of the alkyl chains on this substrate by comparison to DTS on SiO2. Furthermore, with use of ellipsometry and XPS, the silane film thickness on Ta2O5 was determined to be substantially smaller than that reported in the literature for DTS on SiO2, supporting the observations of an increased tilt angle (approximately 45 degrees ) on Ta2O5 than on SiO2 (approximately 10 degrees ). By means of cyclic voltammetry, the formation of a dense, essentially pinhole-free, silane film was observed on the cleaned samples. In conclusion, the fully characterized and optimized procedure for the silanization of Ta2O5 surfaces with trichlorosilanes will allow the formation of well-defined, reproducible, and controllable chemical interfaces on Ta2O5.

Color-tunable fluorescent organogels: columnar self-assembly of pyrene-containing oligo(glutamic acid)s

New fluorescent gelators containing pyrene moieties and dendritic oligopeptides have been developed. These molecules self-assemble into 1D helical columnar structures that lead to the formation of 3D fibrous random networks. The resulting gel materials show monomer emission of pyrenes because the hydrogen-bonded array of the oligopeptide moieties greatly suppresses the formation of pyrene excimers. In contrast, in the sol states green excimer emission of the pyrenes is observed because of the dissociation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. This is the first example of the reverse-mode color switching of fluorescence for supramolecular pyrene assemblies.

Effect of Core Twisting on Self-Assembly and Optical Properties of Perylene Bisimide Dyes in Solution and Columnar Liquid Crystalline Phases

A series of highly soluble and fluorescent core-twisted perylene bisimide dyes (PBIs) 3 a-f with different substituents at the bay area (1,6,7,12 positions of the perylene core) were synthesized and fully characterized by (1)H NMR, UV/Vis spectroscopy, MS spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The pi-pi aggregation properties of these new functional dyes were investigated in detail both in solution and in condensed phase by UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, vapor pressure osmometry (VPO), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM), and X-ray diffraction. Concentration-dependent UV/Vis measurements and VPO analysis revealed that these core-twisted pi-conjugated systems show distinct self-dimerization equilibria in apolar solvent methylcyclohexane (MCH) with dimerization constants between 1.3x10(4) and 30 M(-1). The photoluminescence spectra of the dimers of PBIs 3 a-f exhibit bathochromic shifts of quite different magnitude which could be attributed to different longitudinal or rotational offsets between the dyes as well as differences in the respective pi-pi stacking distance. In condensed state, quite a few of these PBIs form luminescent rectangular or hexagonal columnar liquid crystalline phases with low isotropization temperatures. The effects of the distortion of the pi systems on their pi-pi stacking and the optical properties of the resultant stacks in solution and in LC phases have been explored in detail. In one case (3 a) a particularly interesting phase change from crystalline into liquid crystalline could be observed upon annealing that was accompanied by a transformation from non-fluorescent H-type into strongly fluorescent J-type packing of the dyes.

Photoluminescence and Conductivity of Self-Assembled π–π Stacks of Perylene Bisimide Dyes

The self-assembly of a new, highly fluorescent perylene bisimide dye 2 into pi stacks, both in solution and condensed phase, has been studied in detail by NMR spectroscopy, vapor pressure osmometry (VPO), UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), optical polarizing microscopy (OPM) and X-ray diffraction. The NMR and VPO measurements revealed the formation of extended pi-pi stacks of the dye molecules in solution. The aggregate size determined from VPO and DOSY NMR measurements agree well with that obtained from the concentration and temperature-dependent UV/Vis spectral data by employing the isodesmic model (equal K model). In the condensed state, dye 2 possesses a hexagonal columnar liquid crystalline (LC) phase as confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The columnar stacking of this dye has been further explored by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Well-resolved columnar nanostructures of the compound are observed on graphite surface. A color-tunable luminescence from green to red has been observed upon aggregation which is accompanied by an increase of the fluorescence lifetime and depolarization. The observed absorption properties can be explained in terms of molecular exciton theory. The charge transport properties of dye 2 have been investigated by pulse radiolysis-time resolved microwave conductivity measurements and a 1D charge carrier mobility up to 0.42 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) is obtained. Considering the promising self-assembly, semiconducting, and luminescence properties of this dye, it might serve as a useful functional material for nano(opto)electronics.

Post-polymerization of preorganized assemblies for creating shape-controlled functional materials

Combination of supramolecular chemistry with molecular recognition has been successfully applied to creating large superstructures with a wide variety of morphologies. Control of shapes and patterns of ordered molecular assemblies in nano and micro scales has attracted considerable interest as promising bottom-up technology. It is known, however, that these molecular assembling superstructures are fragile, reflecting the characteristic of the non-covalent interaction, a driving force operating in these molecular systems. In fact, they easily collapse or change by small perturbation in the environmental conditions. Thus, over the last decade, researchers have been seeking possible methods for the immobilization these superstructures. This critical review focuses on recent advances in in situ post-modification under the influence of the molecular assemblies as templates and polymerization of ordered molecular assemblies such as organogel fibers and crystals to preserve their original superstructures and intensify their mechanical strength.