Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 17, 2025

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Light-controlled self-assembly of a dithienylethene bolaamphiphile in water
Cassidy Creemer1, Haydar Kilic, Kwang Soo Lee
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 100 W. 18th Ave, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA. parquett@chemistry.ohio-state.edu.
Abstract:
The self-assembly of bolaamphiphiles comprised of a central photochromic dithienylethene (DTE) chromophore was investigated in aqueous media. Irradiation at 254 nm induced a conversion from the open to closed states of the DTE chromophores. Whereas, in water, irradiation produced a photostationary state of 20 : 80 (open/closed), in methanol the ratio improved to 10 : 90 (open/closed). The open → closed transition was accompanied by the formation of 1D nanofibers during incubation in darkness.

