Parallel-stacked aromatic molecules in hydrogen-bonded inorganic frameworks

By precisely constructing molecules and assembling these into well-defined supramolecular structures, novel physical properties and functionalities can be realized, and new areas of the chemical space can be accessed. In both materials science and biology, a deeper understanding of the properties and exploitation of the reversible character of weak bonds and interactions, such as hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions, is anticipated to lead to the development of materials with novel properties and functionalities. We apply the hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) strategy to inorganic materials science using the cubic octamer of orthosilicic acid, [Si₈O₁₂][OH]₈, as a building block, and find that various types of hydrogen-bonded inorganic frameworks (HIFs). We succeed in parallel π-stacking pure benzene, thiophene, selenophene, p-benzoquinone, thiophene·p-benzoquinone, and benzene·p-benzoquinone polymers infinitely. These polymers interact via their π-systems by taking advantage of the flexible pores of the three-dimensional nano-honeycomb HIFs, which consist of periodic wide and narrow segments.