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Microscopic Visualization of Porous Nanographenes Synthesized through a Combination of Solution and On-Surface Chemistry
Published on: March 4, 2021
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Self-Assembly of Nanographenes.
Ikuya Matsumoto1, Ryo Sekiya1, Takeharu Haino1
1Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|March 10, 2021
Summary
Researchers developed alkyl-functionalized nanographenes for supramolecular systems. These nanographenes self-assemble into stacked structures, offering potential for novel materials with tunable morphologies.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular chemistry
- Materials science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Small aromatic systems can form stacked structures with unique properties.
- Nanographenes, despite having graphitic domains, have not been utilized for supramolecular systems due to solubility and size distribution issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To realize nanographene-based supramolecular aggregates.
- To investigate the self-assembly behavior of alkyl-functionalized nanographenes.
Main Methods:
- Employing nanographenes with alkyl chains and narrow lateral size distributions.
- Utilizing optical measurements and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for structural analysis.
- Performing molecular mechanics calculations to model aggregate interactions.
Main Results:
- Nanographenes undergo self-assembly regulated by concentration, solvent polarity, temperature, and sonication.
- Optical measurements and AFM indicate the formation of stacked structures.
- Concentration-dependent morphologies were observed: stacked structures at low concentrations and polymer-like networks at higher concentrations on mica.
Conclusions:
- Alkyl-functionalized nanographenes can form self-assembled supramolecular aggregates.
- The morphology of these aggregates is controllable through various external factors.
- These findings open possibilities for designing novel nanographene-based materials.
