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Observation of Supramolecular Chirality in a Hierarchically Self-Assembled Mixed-Stack Charge-Transfer Complex
Sumesh Babu Krishnan1,2, Karical Raman Gopidas1,2
1Photosciences and Photonics Section, Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Trivandrum, 695 019, India.
Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|May 16, 2017
Summary
Researchers observed supramolecular chirality in a self-assembled charge-transfer (CT) complex. This complex, formed by pyrene and pyromellitic diimide derivatives, showed enhanced stability and formed twisted fibers, offering insights into synergistic binding interactions.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Organic Chemistry
Background:
- Charge-transfer (CT) complexes are formed by electron donor-acceptor interactions.
- Supramolecular chirality arises from the specific arrangement of molecules in a complex.
- Cyclodextrin-adamantane inclusion complexes are known for their strong binding affinity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formation and properties of a supramolecular charge-transfer complex.
- To explore the synergistic effects of CT interactions and host-guest inclusion binding.
- To characterize the supramolecular chirality and self-assembled structures.
Main Methods:
- Self-assembly of β-cyclodextrin-linked pyrene and adamantane-linked pyromellitic diimide in water.
- Spectroscopic techniques: 1H NMR, absorption, and fluorescence spectroscopy.
- Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) for binding studies.
- Microscopy techniques: Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Main Results:
- A stable supramolecular charge-transfer complex was formed with significantly enhanced CT interactions due to host-guest binding.
- The complex exhibited supramolecular chirality, evidenced by a positive Cotton effect in its CT absorption band.
- Temperature-dependent studies confirmed the high stability of the CT complex.
- Morphological studies revealed the formation of twisted fibers through a proposed mechanism involving synergistic binding and sheet twisting.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully demonstrated supramolecular chirality in a self-assembled CT complex.
- Synergistic binding between CT interactions and host-guest inclusion plays a crucial role in complex stability and structure formation.
- The observed twisted fibers suggest a novel self-assembly pathway driven by combined molecular interactions.
- This system provides a valuable platform for studying the interplay of supramolecular CT and chirality.
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