Hu Y, Zeng X, Sahare S, Xie RB, Lee SL. Flow-induced-crystallization: tailoring host-guest supramolecular co-assemblies at the liquid-solid interface.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2022;
4:3524-3530. [PMID:
36134353 PMCID:
PMC9400487 DOI:
10.1039/d2na00160h]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Here, we report that using the method of simply contacting a sample solution droplet with a piece of tissue paper can create a solvent flow (capillary force). During this process, the dynamics and solvent removal can promote the formation and stabilization of a meta-stable linear quasi-crystal composed of p-terphenyl-3,5,3',5'-tetracarboxylic acid (TPTC) molecules, which would otherwise pack into thermodynamically favored random tiling. The tailored quasi-crystal (linear) template allows atop it higher-efficiency accommodation of fullerene molecules (C60) from 40.1% to 97.5%, compared with that obtained in the random-tiling (porous) case. Overall, the result of this study presents an unusual yet remarkably simple strategy for tailoring complex host-guest supramolecular systems at the liquid-solid interface.
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