Size-selective effects on fullerene adsorption by nanoporous molecular networks

A new hierarchical self-assembling molecular template, which can size-selectively immobilize fullerene molecules, is reported. The molecular template is fabricated from 1,3,5-tris(10-carboxydecyloxy)benzene (TCDB) and triangle-shaped macrocycles. It is observed that the two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded achiral TCDB network affected by the 3NN-Macrocycle becomes a chiral network. Host and guest molecules both form chiral arrangements with hexagonal empty pores. In addition, fullerenes and other molecules such as coronene can be entrapped in the empty pores or on the 3NN-Macrocycle molecules. The adsorption constant (K) is estimated, from which it is concluded that the different filling behaviors of the fullerenes are associated with the different sizes of the guest species. This method provides a facile approach to molecularly designed surfaces and the study of fullerene molecular arrays on the single-molecule level.