Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 29, 2026
06:28
Self-Assembly of Hybrid Lipid Membranes Doped with Hydrophobic Organic Molecules at the Water/Air Interface
Published on: May 1, 2020
4.0K
Solvent and Surface/Interface Effect on the Hierarchical Assemblies of Chiral Aggregation-Induced Emitting Molecules
Bing Shi Li1, Xuejiao Huang1, Hongkun Li1,2,3
1College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering , Shenzhen University , 1066 Xueyuan Avenue , Nanshan, Shenzhen 518055 , China.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|February 16, 2019
Summary
Aggregation-induced emitting (AIE) molecules self-assemble into helical fibers. Water
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Organic Chemistry
Background:
- Aggregation-induced emitting (AIE) molecules exhibit unique photophysical properties driven by their aggregation behavior.
- Molecular self-assembly is a crucial process governed by noncovalent interactions and environmental conditions.
- Tetraphenylethene (TPE) derivatives are widely studied AIE molecules with tunable properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the self-assembly behavior of TPE derivatives with valine attachments (TPE-Val and TPE-2Val).
- To understand the influence of solvent and interface conditions on the formation of helical assemblies.
- To elucidate the role of the lateral solvophobic effect in directing self-assembly.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of TPE-Val and TPE-2Val molecules.
- Solvent-induced self-assembly in solution.
- Deposition on air/water interface and modified mica surfaces.
- Microscopy techniques to analyze fiber morphology and handedness.
Main Results:
- Both TPE-Val and TPE-2Val formed supramolecular helical fibers with distinct handedness in solution.
- On the air/water interface, both molecules formed aligned elementary helical fibers, not supramolecular ones.
- Self-assembly on 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane-modified mica also yielded elementary helical fibers.
- The lateral solvophobic effect of water was identified as the key factor unraveling supramolecular assemblies into elementary fibers.
Conclusions:
- The self-assembly of AIE molecules is highly sensitive to environmental conditions, particularly interfaces.
- The lateral solvophobic effect plays a critical role in dictating the final morphology of TPE-based helical assemblies.
- Understanding these effects is crucial for designing and controlling the self-assembly of functional organic materials.
Related Concept Videos
02:25Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers
15.0K
Molecules that possess multiple chiral centers can afford a large number of stereoisomers. For instance, while some molecules like 2-butanol have one chiral center, defined as a tetrahedral carbon atom with four different substituents attached, several molecules like butane-2,3-diol have multiple chiral centers. A simple formula to predict the number of stereoisomers possible for a molecule with n chiral centers is 2n. However, there can be a lower number where some of the stereoisomers are...
15.0K
01:12Solvents
70.8K
A solvent is a substance, most often a liquid, that can dissolve other substances. Here, the substance being dissolved is called a solute. When a solvent and a solute combine, they form a solution - a homogenous mixture of both the solvent and the solute. Water is a universal biological solvent. Its polar structure allows it to dissolve many other polar compounds. The ability of water to dissolve is governed by a balance between water molecules binding to each other and binding to the solute.
A...
A...
70.8K
02:25Chirality
29.4K
Chirality is a term that describes the lack of mirror symmetry in an object. In other words, chiral objects cannot be superposed on their mirror images. For example, our feet are chiral, as the mirror image of the left foot, the right foot, cannot be superposed on the left foot.
Chiral objects exhibit a sense of handedness when they interact with another chiral object. For example, our left foot can only fit in the left shoe and not in the right shoe. Achiral objects — objects that have...
Chiral objects exhibit a sense of handedness when they interact with another chiral object. For example, our left foot can only fit in the left shoe and not in the right shoe. Achiral objects — objects that have...
29.4K
02:30Chirality in Nature
17.2K
Chirality is the most intriguing yet essential facet of nature, governing life’s biochemical processes and precision. It can be observed from a snail shell pattern in a macroscopic world to an amino acid, the minutest building block of life. Most of the snails around the world have right-coiled shells because of the intrinsic chirality in their genes. All the amino acids present in the human body exist in an enantiomerically pure state, except for glycine - the sole achiral amino acid.
17.2K
02:41Protein Complex Assembly
16.7K
Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types. Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes.
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
16.7K
02:04Protein-protein Interfaces
14.7K
Many proteins form complexes to carry out their functions, making protein-protein interactions (PPIs) essential for an organism's survival. Most PPIs are stabilized by numerous weak noncovalent chemical forces. The physical shape of the interfaces determines the way two proteins interact. Many globular proteins have closely-matching shapes on their surfaces, which form a large number of weak bonds. Additionally, many PPIs occur between two helices or between a surface cleft and a...
14.7K