No abstract

Hierarchical self-assembly offers a powerful strategy for producing molecular nanostructures. Although widely used, the mechanistic details of self-assembly processes are poorly understood. We spectroscopically monitored a nucleation process in the self-assembly of p-conjugated molecules into helical supramolecular fibrillar structures. The data support a nucleation-growth pathway that gives rise to a remarkably high degree of cooperativity. Furthermore, we characterize a helical transition in the nucleating species before growth. The self-assembly process depends strongly on solvent structure, suggesting that an organized shell of solvent molecules plays an explicit role in rigidifying the aggregates and guiding them toward further assembly into bundles and/or gels.

To study the supramolecular polymerisation mechanisms of a self-assembling system, concentration- and temperature-dependent measurements can both be used to probe the transition from the molecular dissolved state to the aggregated state. In this report, both methods are evaluated to determine their effectiveness in identifying and quantifying the self-assembly mechanism for isodesmic and cooperative self-assembling systems. It was found that for a rapid and unambiguous determination of the self-assembly mechanism and its thermodynamic parameters, temperature-dependent measurements are more appropriate. These studies allow the acquisition of a large data set leading to an accurate determination of the self-assembly mechanism and quantification of the different thermodynamic parameters that describe the supramolecular polymerisation. For a comprehensive characterisation, additional concentration-dependent measurements can be performed.

The conditions required for supramolecular electronics, e.g. nano-sized optoelectronic devices, will be illustrated on the basis of the programmed self-assembly of pi-conjugated systems into individual nanosized wires. Using the supramolecular design rules nanowires can be created from almost any polymeric and oligomeric pi-conjugated system. In the case of oligomers it is even possible to construct individual wires having a uniform diameter of one molecule thickness. The construction of wires on a substrate is possible by self-assembly in solution or during the deposition. The transfer of the supramolecular stacks from solution to a solid support is a very delicate process. A comprehensive knowledge of all intermolecular interactions gives rise to controlled transfer of pi-conjugated assemblies to specific surfaces. There are a large number of very appealing targets that should be reached before supramolecular electronics can serve as an attractive alternative in between single molecule electronics and bulk devices. Nevertheless, the combination of exciting scientific results and intriguing technological challenges creates an interesting future for supramolecular electronics.

Comparative studies on hydrogen-bonded versus covalently linked donor-acceptor-donor dye arrays obtained from oligo(p-phenylene vinylene)s (OPVs) as donor and bay-substituted perylene bisimides (PERYs) as acceptor dyes are presented. Both systems form well-ordered J-type aggregates in methylcyclohexane, but only hydrogen-bonded arrays afford hierarchically assembled chiral OPV-PERY dye superstructures consisting of left-handed helical pi-pi co-aggregates (CD spectroscopy) of the two dyes that further assemble into right-handed nanometer-scale supercoils in the solid state (AFM study). In the case of hydrogen-bonded arrays, the stability of the aggregates in solution increases with increasing conjugation length of the OPV unit. The well-defined co-aggregated dyes presented here exhibit photoinduced electron transfer on subpicosecond time scale, and thus, these supramolecular entities might serve as valuable nanoscopic functional units.

The self-assembly of amphiphilic dendrimers based on poly(propylene imine) dendrimers of five different generations with up to 64 end groups modified with long hydrophobic chains has been studied. At the air−water interface stable monolayers form in which the dendritic surfactants presumably adopt a cylindrical shape; all the chains are aligned perpendicular to the water surface, and the dendritic poly(propylene imine) core faces the aqueous phase. Electron microscopy and dynamic light-scattering measurements performed on aqueous solutions of the amphiphiles at pH = 1 showed the formation of small spherical aggregates with diameters varying between 20 and 200 nm. X-ray diffraction of cast films of these aggregates revealed bilayer thicknesses of 48−54 Å. A phase transition was detected by measuring fluorescence anisotropy. The theoretical volumes of the dendritic amphiphiles were in good agreement with those calculated from the monolayer experiments and X-ray diffraction data. Hence, the amphiphilic dendrimers within the aggregates in solution have the same highly asymmetric conformation as that proposed at the air−water interface. Calculations showed that the shape of the dendritic poly(propylene imine) core in the aggregates is distorted and that the axial ratio (r b:r a) ranges from 1:2.5 for the first generation to approximately 1:8 for the three highest generation of dendrimer. This behavior illustrates the high flexibility of the poly(propylene imine) dendrimers.

Mono-and bifunctional oligo(p-phenylene vinylene)s (OPVs) functionalized with ureido-s-triazine units have been synthesized and fully characterized. In chloroform monofunctional OPV derivatives dimerize with a dimerization constant of K dim ) (2.1 ( 0.3) × 10 4 L/mol, while bifunctional OPV derivatives are present as random coil polymers in this solvent. In more apolar solvents such as dodecane, the hydrogenbonded dimers of the monofunctional OPV derivative aggregate in chiral stacks, as can be concluded from UV/vis, fluorescence and CD spectroscopy. Temperature-dependent measurements show a first-order transition at 53 ( 3 °C from the aggregated state to the molecularly dissolved phase. The bifunctional derivative also aggregates in dodecane; however, based on CD measurements, these aggregates are less organized. This behavior is presumably the outcome of a competition between favorable π-π interactions and restricted conformational freedom, due to the hexyl spacer, which results in a frustrated supramolecular polymeric stack. The length of these polymers as well as the chiral order in the assemblies can be controlled by the addition of monofunctional OPV derivatives.

Nature provides much inspiration for the design of materials capable of motion upon exposure to external stimuli, and many examples of such active systems have been created in the laboratory. However, to achieve continuous motion driven by an unchanging, constant stimulus has proven extremely challenging. Here we describe a liquid crystalline polymer film doped with a visible light responsive fluorinated azobenzene capable of continuous chaotic oscillatory motion when exposed to ambient sunlight in air. The presence of simultaneous illumination by blue and green light is necessary for the oscillating behaviour to occur, suggesting that the dynamics of continuous forward and backward switching are causing the observed effect. Our work constitutes an important step towards the realization of autonomous, persistently self-propelling machines and self-cleaning surfaces powered by sunlight.