TY - JOUR
T1 - Complex assembly from planar and twisted π-conjugated molecules towards alloy helices and core-shell structures
AU - LEI, Yilong
AU - Sun, Yanqiu
AU - Zhang, Yi
AU - Zhang, Hongyang
AU - Zhang, Haihua
AU - Meng, Zhengong
AU - WONG, Wai Yeung
AU - Yao, Jiannian
AU - Fu, Hongbing
N1 - Funding Information:
Y.L.L. thanks the Start-up Grant for New Academics of HKBU (38-40-223). This work was also supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973) 2013CB933500, National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 51573151, 91222203, 21273251, 91333111, 21190034, 21221002), the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (PolyU 123384/16 P and C6009-17G), Areas of Excellence Scheme of HKSAR (AoE/P-03/08), the Endowment Fund from Ms Clarea Au (847 S) and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (1-ZE1C). The authors thank Mr. W.S. Chung for assistance on collecting the videos.
PY - 2018/12/1
Y1 - 2018/12/1
N2 - Integrating together two dissimilar π-conjugated molecules into controlled complex topological configurations remains a largely unsolved problem owing to the diversity of organic species and their respective different assembly features. Here, we find that two structurally similar organic semiconductors, 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene (BA) and 5,12-bis(phenylethynyl)naphthacene (BN), co-assemble into two-component helices by control of the growth kinetics as well as the molar ratio of BA/BN. The helical superstructures made of planar and twisted bis(phenylethynyl) derivatives can be regarded as (BA)x(BN)1−x alloys, which are formed due to compatible structural relationship between BA and BN. Moreover, epitaxial growth of (BA)x(BN)1−x alloy layer on the surface of BA tube to form BA@(BA)x(BN)1−x core-shell structure is also achieved via a solute exchange process. The precise control over composition and morphology towards organic alloy helices and core-shell microstructures opens a door for understanding the complex co-assembly features of two or more different material partners with similar structures.
AB - Integrating together two dissimilar π-conjugated molecules into controlled complex topological configurations remains a largely unsolved problem owing to the diversity of organic species and their respective different assembly features. Here, we find that two structurally similar organic semiconductors, 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene (BA) and 5,12-bis(phenylethynyl)naphthacene (BN), co-assemble into two-component helices by control of the growth kinetics as well as the molar ratio of BA/BN. The helical superstructures made of planar and twisted bis(phenylethynyl) derivatives can be regarded as (BA)x(BN)1−x alloys, which are formed due to compatible structural relationship between BA and BN. Moreover, epitaxial growth of (BA)x(BN)1−x alloy layer on the surface of BA tube to form BA@(BA)x(BN)1−x core-shell structure is also achieved via a solute exchange process. The precise control over composition and morphology towards organic alloy helices and core-shell microstructures opens a door for understanding the complex co-assembly features of two or more different material partners with similar structures.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85055071761&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-018-06489-3
DO - 10.1038/s41467-018-06489-3
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 30341293
AN - SCOPUS:85055071761
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 9
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 4358
ER -