Arraying and Guest Inclusion of Soluble Metal-Organic Nanotubes Composed of Macrocyclic Paddle-Wheel Metal Complexes

A new series of metal-organic nanotubes was constructed through one-dimensional assembly using molecular triangles or molecular squares composed of paddlewheel dirhodium complexes and bidentate axial ligands. The metal-organic nanotubes were significantly different from conventional solid metal-organic framework (MOF) motifs. They exhibit good solubility owing to the branched side chains at their periphery and demonstrate high orientation capabilities in thin films owing to their anisotropic structure. Furthermore, the nanotubes can accommodate guest molecules in nanochannels and orient them on a large scale on a glass substrate.