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Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
Published on: February 7, 2017
Supramolecular shape shifter: polymorphs of self-organized fullerene assemblies
Takashi Nakanishi1, Jiaobing Wang, Helmuth Möhwald
1Organic Nanomaterials Center, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan.
Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
|May 16, 2009
Summary
Fullerene derivatives self-assemble into diverse hierarchical structures. The derivative with three hexadecyloxy chains uniquely exhibits shape-shifting capabilities, forming various complex morphologies due to pi-pi and van der Waals interactions.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular chemistry
- Materials science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Hierarchical supramolecular assemblies are crucial in nanotechnology and materials science.
- Fullerene derivatives offer unique electronic and structural properties for self-assembly.
- Controlling the morphology of self-assembled structures is key to tailoring material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the self-assembly behavior of fullerene derivatives under various conditions.
- To explore the influence of aliphatic chain length on supramolecular morphology.
- To identify the key factors driving shape-shifting in fullerene-based assemblies.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of fullerene derivatives with varying aliphatic chain lengths (hexadecyloxy, eicosyloxy, dodecyloxy).
- Fabrication of supramolecular assemblies using techniques like ultrasonication in different organic solvents.
- Characterization of self-assembled morphologies using microscopy and other relevant techniques.
Main Results:
- Fullerene derivative (1) with three hexadecyloxy chains demonstrated significant shape-shifting, forming diverse morphologies including vesicles, fibers, nano-disks, spheres, and flower-like structures.
- Reference derivatives (2 and 3) with eicosyloxy and dodecyloxy chains, respectively, exhibited limited polymorphism, forming microparticles and ultra-thin disks.
- Interdigitated bilayer structures were observed, with interspacing influenced by aliphatic chain length and fullerene pi-pi interactions.
Conclusions:
- The substitution pattern of aliphatic chains on fullerene derivatives critically influences their self-assembly behavior and morphological diversity.
- The three hexadecyloxy chains on fullerene derivative (1) are optimal for inducing significant supramolecular shape shifting.
- Understanding these structure-property relationships is vital for designing advanced functional nanomaterials.
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