Self-Assembly of Ultralong Aligned Dipeptide Single Crystals

Oriented arrangement of single crystals plays a key role in improving the performance of their functional devices. Herein we describe a method for the exceptionally fast fabrication (mm/min) of ultralong aligned dipeptide single crystals (several centimeters). It combines an induced nucleation step with a continuous withdrawal of substrate, leading to specific evaporation/composition conditions at a three-phase contact line, which makes the growth process controllable. These aligned dipeptide fibers possess a uniform cross section with active optical waveguiding properties that can be used as waveguiding materials. The approach provides guidance for the controlled arrangement of organic single crystals, a family of materials with considerable potential applications in large-scale functional devices.