Tunable columnar mesophases utilizing C2 symmetric aromatic donor-acceptor complexes

Single-Molecule Exchange inside a Nanocage Provides Insights into the Origin of π-π Interactions

The attractive interactions between aromatic rings, also known as π-π interactions, have been widely used for decades. However, the origin of π-π interactions remains controversial due to the difficulties in experimentally measuring the weak interactions between π-systems. Here, we construct an elaborate system to accurately compare the strength of the π-π interactions between phenylalanine derivatives via molecular exchange processes inside a protein nanopore. Based on quantitative comparison of binding strength, we find that in most cases, the π-π interaction is primarily driven by dispersive attraction, with the electrostatic interaction playing a secondary role and tending to be repulsive. However, in cases where electronic effects are particularly strong, electrostatic induction may exceed dispersion forces to become the primary driving force for interactions between π-systems. The results of this study not only deepen our understanding of π-stacking but also have potential implications in areas where π-π interactions play a crucial role.

Synthesis, Solution, and Solid State Properties of Homological Dialkylated Naphthalene Diimides—A Systematic Review of Molecules for Next-Generation Organic Electronics

This systematic study aimed at finding a correlation between molecular structure, solubility, self-assembly, and electronic properties of a homological series of N-alkylated naphthalene diimides (NDIs). NDIs are known for their n-type carrier mobility and, therefore, have potential in the field of organic electronics, photovoltaics, and sensors. For the purpose of this study, nine symmetrical N,N′-dialkylated naphthalene diimides (NDIC3-NDIC11) were synthesized in the reaction of 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride with alkylamines ranging from propyl- to undecyl-. The NDIs were characterized by spectroscopic (NMR, UV-Vis, FTIR), microscopic, and thermal methods (TGA and DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Our experimental study, extensively referring to findings reported in the literature, indicated that the NDIs revealed specific trends in spectroscopic and thermal properties as well as solubility and crystal morphology. The solubility in good solvents (chloroform, toluene, dichlorobenzene) was found to be the highest for the NDIs substituted with the medium-length alkyl chains (NDIC5–NDIC8). Systematic FTIR and XRD studies unraveled a distinct parity effect related to the packing of NDI molecules with odd or even numbers of methylene groups in the alkyl substituents. The NDIs with an even number of methylene groups in the alkyl substituents revealed low-symmetry (P1−) triclinic packing, whereas those with an odd number of carbon atoms were generally monoclinic with P21/c symmetry. The odd–even parity effect also manifested itself in the overlapping of the NDIs’ aromatic cores and, hence, the π-π stacking distance (dπ-π). The odd-numbered NDIs generally revealed slightly smaller dπ-π values then the even-numbered ones. Testing the NDIs using standardized field-effect transistors and unified procedures revealed that the n-type mobility in NDIC6, NDIC7, and NDIC8 was 10- to 30-fold higher than for the NDIs with shorter or longer alkyl substituents. Our experimental results indicate that N,N′-alkylated NDIs reveal an optimum range of alkyl chain length in terms of solution processability and charge transport properties.

Molecular Shape and Polar Order in Columnar Liquid Crystals

Bottom-up materials design by the conceiving of new molecular building blocks is powerful and chemists are uniquely qualified to innovate. Liquid crystals (LCs) and related soft crystals, collectively called mesophases, naturally create materials with dynamic properties. The thermotropic LC state has a liquid-like intermolecular disorder, but the cooperative nature of these materials facilitates a long-range directional order (alignment) that couples strongly to applied electric/magnetic fields and interfaces. Thermotropic LCs are held together by mesogen cores, which are often unsaturated with anisotropic polarizability, and are appended with flexible (often n-alkane) side chains. Thermal excitation of the side chains produces large amplitude motions that drive a melting transition, and the anisotropic attractions between mesogenic cores produce a directional organization that produces the LC order. LCs are liquids as defined by thermodynamics and may not contain three-dimensional (3D) organization. However, in many cases there are 3D ordered phases below the melting temperatures, which are soft (deformable) plastic materials. Unconventional mesogens offer opportunities to create responsive molecular assemblies with optical, electronic, or magnetic activity. I will detail in this account my efforts to control these dynamic states with the goal of creating polar organizations in columnar LCs. The use of molecular shape, dative bonding, and dynamic correlations between molecules in fluid/plastic phases will be highlighted and how applied electric fields can polarize select materials.

Optical Vector Vortex Generation by Spherulites with Cylindrical Anisotropy

Materials with crystalline structures of circular symmetry are rare in nature; however, they are highly desired in optical applications with structured lights, whose characteristics are of cylindrical symmetry. In this work, using a naturally existing circular anisotropy from a spherulite formed by molecular self-assembly, we obtain a cylindrical vector optical vortex beam generation transformed from the spin angular momentum in the wide visible range. The proposed strategy provides promising and broad opportunities for the applications of spherulites in the generation of structured lights and modulations of both the polarization and the angular momentum.

Molecular Alignment of Alkynylplatinum(II) 2,6-Bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine Double Complex Salts and the Formation of Well-Ordered Nanostructures Directed by Pt···Pt and Donor-Acceptor Interactions

A new class of alkynylplatinum(II) bzimpy (bzimpy = bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine) double complex salts (DCSs) containing dialkoxynaphthalene or pyromellitic diimide moieties on the alkynyl ligand has been reported to display distinct morphological properties compared to their precursor alkynylplatinum(II) complexes, with the capability of being aligned by the directional Pt···Pt and/or π-π stacking interactions. The incorporation of donor and acceptor units on the alkynyl ligands has been found to significantly perturb the alignment of the oppositely charged complex ions in the DCSs to stack in a twisted head-to-head manner, attributed to the additional driving forces of electrostatic and donor-acceptor interactions. The modulation of the Pt···Pt distances and the extent of aggregate formation have been demonstrated by altering the charge matching between the platinum(II) bzimpy moieties and the donor or acceptor moieties on the alkynyl ligand.

Direct-write orientation of charge-transfer liquid crystals enables polarization-based coding and encryption

Optical polarizers encompass a class of anisotropic materials that pass-through discrete orientations of light and are found in wide-ranging technologies, from windows and glasses to cameras, digital displays and photonic devices. The wire-grids, ordered surfaces, and aligned nanomaterials used to make polarized films cannot be easily reconfigured once aligned, limiting their use to stationary cross-polarizers in, for example, liquid crystal displays. Here we describe a supramolecular material set and patterning approach where the polarization angle in stand-alone films can be precisely defined at the single pixel level and reconfigured following initial alignment. This capability enables new routes for non-binary information storage, retrieval, and intrinsic encryption, and it suggests future technologies such as photonic chips that can be reconfigured using non-contact patterning.

Co-assembly of functionalized donor-acceptor molecules within block copolymer microdomains via the supramolecular assembly approach with an improved charge carrier mobility

Here, we demonstrate the three-component self-assembly of functionalized small molecules (donor and acceptor) and a polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) block copolymer using the supramolecular approach. The introduction of functional groups on both the donor (1-pyrenebutyric acid, PBA) and acceptor (functionalized naphthalene diimide, FNDI) molecules can form stable charge-transfer (CT) complexes within the block copolymer domains and these supramolecules exhibited a charge carrier mobility of around 1.01 × 10^-4 cm² (V s)^-1. In this case, both the molecules can form H-bonding with P4VP chains, and as well as π-π stacking between the PBA and FNDI molecules is also possible within the block copolymer domains. These noncovalent interactions lead to the formation of stable hierarchical structures and CT complexes between PBA and FNDI, where bilayer donor-acceptor (D-A) stacks formed within the block copolymer microdomains. Overall, the organization of both functionalized donor and acceptor molecules within the block copolymer domain exhibits an enhanced charge carrier mobility, which is potentially useful in the fabrication of organic photovoltaic cells and organic light-emitting diodes.

Acceptor-induced cooperative supramolecular co-assembly with emissive charge-transfer for advanced supramolecular encryption

A novel acceptor-induced cooperative supramolecular co-assembly based on a dendritic electron donor and 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene acceptor has been successfully developed. The resulting co-assembly is capable of displaying emissive charge transfer properties and intriguing vapo-fluorochromic behaviors, which can be used for supramolecular encryption applications with reversible authentication.

Charge transfer liquid: a stable donor–acceptor interaction in the solvent-free liquid state

A new charge transfer solvent-free liquid having high stability even with donor–acceptor ratio of 1000 : 1 is demonstrated.

Substituent effects in solid-state assembly of activated benzotriazoles

Aromatic donor–acceptor stacking involving electron-rich π-donors and electron-deficient π-acceptors has been utilized in a broad spectrum of diverse applications to great effect.

Exploiting the interactions of aromatic units for folding and assembly in aqueous environments

A variety of non-covalent interactions (including hydrogen bonding, ionic interactions, metal coordination and desolvation/solvation) have been utilized to organize oligomers into well-defined structures. Herein is described a survey of aromatic foldamers that capitalize on electrostatic complementarity of substituted aromatic units to drive folding and assembly in aqueous environments. A brief description of recent advances in the understanding of aromatic interactions is provided, followed by examples of foldamers that exploit interactions between aromatic units to drive their assembly in predictable fashion. The history of our aromatic foldamers is traced from the first structure designed to fold into a pleated structure in an aqueous environment to a heteroduplex system more related to nucleic acids. Taken together, the results demonstrate that electrostatic complementarity of aromatic units provides a versatile framework for driving predictable folding and assembly in aqueous environments.

The sensitivity of donor - acceptor charge transfer to molecular geometry in DAN - NDI based supramolecular flower-like self-assemblies

A charge-transfer (CT) complex self-assembled from an electron acceptor (NDI-EA: naphthalene diimide with appended diamine) and an electron donor (DAN: phosphonic acid-appended dialkoxynapthalene) in aqueous medium. The aromatic core of the NDI and the structure of DAN1 were designed to optimize the dispersive interactions (π-π and van der Waals interactions) in the DAN1–NDI-EA self-assembly, while the amino groups of NDI also interact with the phosphonic acid of DAN1 via electrostatic forces. This arrangement prevented crystallization and favored the directional growth of 3D flower nanostructures. This molecular geometry that is necessary for charge transfer to occur was further evidenced by using a mismatching DAN2 structure. The flower-shaped assembly was visualized by scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy. The formation of the CT complex was determined by UV-vis and cyclic voltammetry and the photoinduced electron transfer to produce the radical ion pair was examined by femtosecond laser transient absorption spectroscopic measurements.

Thermo-mechanically responsive crystalline organic cantilever

Dynamic molecular crystals lift weights up to ∼100× heavier than themselves powered by a thermally induced single-crystal to single-crystal phase transition.

Supramolecular Assemblies of Ferrocene-Hinged Naphthalenediimides: Multiple Conformational Changes in Film States

We design a new naphthalenediimide (NDI) π-system, NDI-Fc-NDI, having a ferrocene linker as a hinge unit and long alkyl chains as supramolecular assembling units. The NDI units are "directionally flexible" in concert with the pivoting motion of the ferrocene unit with a small rotational barrier. The NDI units rotate around the ferrocene unit faster than the NMR time scale in solution at room temperature. UV-vis absorption, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscope studies reveal that NDI-Fc-NDI forms a fibrous supramolecular assembly in solution (methylcyclohexane and highly concentrated chloroform) and film states, wherein the NDI units are in the slipped-stack conformation. The NDI-Fc-NDI supramolecular assembly in the film state exhibits multiple phase transitions associated with conformational changes at different temperatures, which are confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction. Such thermal transitions of NDI-Fc-NDI films also induce changes in the optical and electronic properties as revealed by UV-vis absorption and photoelectron yield spectroscopies, respectively. The thermal behaviors of NDI-Fc-NDI, realized by the unique molecular design, are considerably different from the reference compounds such as an NDI dimer connected with a flexible 1,4-butylene linker. These results provide us with a plausible strategy to propagate the molecular dynamics of the π-system into macroscopic properties in film states; the key factors are (i) the supramolecular alignment of molecular switching units and (ii) the directional motion of the switching units perpendicular to the supramolecular axis.

Effect of Amide Hydrogen Bonding Interaction on Supramolecular Self-Assembly of Naphthalene Diimide Amphiphiles with Aggregation Induced Emission

In the present work, two new naphthalene diimide (NDI) amphiphiles, NDI-N and NDI-NA, were successfully synthesized and employed to investigate their self-assembly and optical properties. For NDI-NA, which contains an amide group, aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) was demonstrated in the presence of various ratios of methylcyclohexane (MCH) in chloroform, which led to the visual color changes. This new amide-containing NDI-NA amphiphile formed nanobelt structures in chloroform/MCH (10:90, v/v) and microcup-like morphologies in chloroform/MCH (5:95, v/v). The closure of these microcups led to the formation of vesicles and microcapsules. The structural morphologies gained from the solvophobic control of NDI-NA were confirmed by various complementary techniques such as infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In the absence of the amide moiety in NDI-N, no self-assembly was observed, indicating the fundamental role of H-bonding in the self-association process.

Graphene-philic surfactants for nanocomposites in latex technology

Graphene is the newest member of the carbon family, and has revolutionized materials science especially in the field of polymer nanocomposites. However, agglomeration and uniform dispersion remains an Achilles' heel (even an elephant in the room), hampering the optimization of this material for practical applications. Chemical functionalization of graphene can overcome these hurdles but is often rather disruptive to the extended pi-conjugation, altering the desired physical and electronic properties. Employing surfactants as stabilizing agents in latex technology circumvents the need for chemical modification allowing for the formation of nanocomposites with retained graphene properties. This article reviews the recent progress in the use of surfactants and polymers to prepare graphene/polymer nanocomposites via latex technology. Of special interest here are surfactant structure-performance relationships, as well as background on the roles surfactant-graphene interactions for promoting stabilization.

Light-triggered assembly–disassembly of an ordered donor–acceptor π-stack using a photoresponsive dimethyldihydropyrene π-switch

A dimethyldihydropyrene based photochromic π-switch in its closed state forms donor–acceptor stacks with 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride. The stacks collapse in the photoisomeric open form.

Helical supramolecular organization of a 1,2-diol appended naphthalene diimide organogelator via an extended intermolecular H-bonding network

Hydrogen bonded self-assembly of a 1,2-diol linked naphthalene diimide derivative features M-helical and J-type aggregation. In MCH/CHCl₃, the compound exhibits intense yellow excimer and thermoreversible “sol–gel” behavior.

Synthesis and self-assembly of DNA–chromophore hybrid amphiphiles

DNA based amphiphiles are synthesized through a modular “click” chemistry approach, and the DNA–chromophore hybrid amphiphiles undergo amphiphilicity-driven self-assembly into vesicular or micellar nanostructures having a DNA shell and functional core.

Donor-acceptor cocrystal based on hexakis(alkoxy)triphenylene and perylenediimide derivatives with an ambipolar transporting property

An organic donor-acceptor cocrystal with an ambipolar transporting property was constructed based on N,N'-bis(1-ethylpropyl)-perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (EP-PDI) and 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexakis-(hexyloxy)-triphenylene (H6TP). The cocrystal with an alternating stacking of H6TP and EP-PDI molecules was formed through both drop-casting and spin-coating processes, especially at the optimized ratios of H6TP/EP-PDI (2/1, 1/1). The formation of the cocrystal was driven by the strong π-π interaction and the weaker steric hindrance, resulting from the smaller side groups, between the donor and acceptor molecules. Field effect transistors (FETs) based on the H6TP/EP-PDI cocrystal exhibited relatively balanced hole/electron transport, with a hole mobility of 1.14 × 10(-3) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) and an electron mobility of 1.40 × 10(-3) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1).

Crystal structure of N,N'-bis-[(pyridin-4-yl)meth-yl]naphthalene di-imide

In the centrosymmetric title compound, C26H16N4O4 {systematic name: 6,13-bis-[(pyridin-4-yl)meth-yl]-6,13-di-aza-tetra-cyclo-[6.6.2.0(4,16)0(11,15)]hexa-deca-1,3,8,10,15-pantaene-5,7,12,14-tetrone}, the central ring system is essentially planar [maximum deviation = 0.0234 (8) Å] and approximately perpendicular to the terminal pyridine ring [dihedral angle = 84.38 (3)°]. The mol-ecules displays a trans conformation with the (pyridin-4-yl)methyl groups on both sides of the central naphthalene di-imide plane. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by π-π stacking between parallel pyridine rings [centroid-centroid distances = 3.7014 (8) and 3.8553 (8) Å] and weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional supra-molecular architecture.

Supramolecular clippers for controlling photophysical processes through preorganized chromophores

A novel supramolecular clipping design for influencing the photophysical properties of functional molecular assemblies, by the preorganization (clipping) of chromophores, is described. Several chromophores end functionalized with molecular recognition units were designed. These molecular recognition units serve as handles to appropriately position these systems upon noncovalent interactions with multivalent guest molecules (supramolecular clippers). Towards this goal, we have synthesized 1,5-dialkoxynaphthalene (DAN) and naphthalenediimide (NDI) functionalized with dipicolylethylenediamine (DPA) motifs. These molecules could preorganize upon noncovalent clipping with adenosine di- or triphosphates, which resulted in preassociated excimers and mixed (cofacial) charge-transfer (CT) assemblies. Chiral guest binding could also induce supramolecular chirality, not only into the individual chromophoric assembly but also into the heteromeric CT organization, as seen from the strong circular dichroism (CD) signal of the CT transition. The unique ability of this design to influence the intermolecular interactions by changing the binding strength of the clippers furthermore makes it very attractive for controlling the bimolecular photophysical processes.

NDI and DAN DNA: nucleic acid-directed assembly of NDI and DAN

Two novel DNA base surrogate phosphoramidites 1 and 2, based upon relatively electron-rich 1,5-dialkoxynaphthalene (DAN) and relatively electron-deficient 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide (NDI), respectively, were designed, synthesized, and incorporated into DNA oligonucleotide strands. The DAN and NDI artificial DNA bases were inserted within a three-base-pair region within the interior of a 12-mer oligonucleotide duplex in various sequential arrangements and investigated with CD spectroscopy and UV melting curve analysis. The CD spectra of the modified duplexes indicated B-form DNA topology. Melting curve analyses revealed trends in DNA duplex stability that correlate with the known association of DAN and NDI moieties in aqueous solution as well as the known favorable interactions between NDI and natural DNA base pairs. This demonstrates that DNA duplex stability and specificity can be driven by the electrostatic complementarity between DAN and NDI. In the most favorable case, an NDI-DAN-NDI arrangement in the middle of the DNA duplex was found to be approximately as stabilizing as three A-T base pairs.

Time-Dependent Solid State Polymorphism of a Series of Donor-Acceptor Dyads

In order to exploit the use of favorable electrostatic interactions between aromatic units in directing the assembly of donor-acceptor (D-A) dyads, the present work examines the ability of conjugated aromatic D-A dyads with symmetric side chains to exhibit solid-state polymorphism as a function of time during the solid formation process. Four such dyads were synthesized and their packing in the solid-state from either slower (10-20 days) or faster (1-2 days) evaporation from solvent was investigated using single crystal X-ray analysis and powder X-ray diffraction. Two of the dyads exhibited tail-to-tail (A-A) packing upon slower evaporation from solvent and head-to-tail (D-A) packing upon faster evaporation from solvent. A combination of single crystal analysis and XRD patterns were used to create models wherein a packing model for the other two dyads is proposed. Our findings suggest that while side chain interactions in asymmetric aromatic dyads can play an important role in enforcing segregated D-A dyad assembly, slowly evaporating symmetrically substituted aromatic dyads allows for favorable electrostatic interactions between the aromatic moieties to facilitate the organization of the dyads in the solid-state.

Aromatic stacking interactions in flavin model systems

Flavins feature multiple attributes that explain their widespread occurrence in nature, including photostability, reversible electrochemistry, and especially the tunability of their optical, electronic, and redox properties by supramolecular interactions and modification of their chemical structure. Flavins are important redox cofactors for enzymatic catalysis and are central to a wide variety of processes, including biosynthesis, electron transport, photosynthesis, and DNA repair. The wide range of processes catalyzed by flavins makes them promising leads for synthetic catalysts. Their properties are also relevant to organic electronic and optoelectronic devices, where they have the potential to serve as photoactive electron carriers, a very uncommon property in current photovoltaic systems. In flavoenzymes, the flavin cofactor binds to the active site of the apoenzyme through noncovalent interactions. These interactions regulate cofactor recognition and tune the redox behavior of the flavin cofactor. In this Account, we describe the creation of host-guest systems based on small molecule, polymer, and nanoparticle scaffolds that explore the role of aromatic stacking on the redox properties of the flavin and provide insight into flavoenzyme function. We also describe the creation of synthetic flavin-based interlocked structures featuring aromatic stacking interactions, along with the use of aromatic stacking to direct self-assembly of flavin-based materials. The interplay between redox events and aromatic stacking interactions seen in these synthetic models is important for fundamental understanding of biological systems including the flavoenzymes. The precise control of aromatic interactions and binding of flavins not only underpins their biological activity but gives them the potential to be developed into novel organic optoelectronic materials based on tuned synthetic flavin-receptor assemblies. In a broader context, the redox properties of the flavin provide a very concise tool for looking at the role of electronics in aromatic stacking, an issue of general importance in biological and supramolecular chemistry.