Beyond Cocrystals: Hierarchical Functional Assemblies via Noncovalent Synthesis.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Crystallography

Background:

• Cocrystals, formed by non-covalent interactions (NCIs), offer tunable optoelectronic properties but are insufficient for multi-functional devices.
• Organic hierarchical structures (OHSs) are proposed as advanced materials by using cocrystals as building blocks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize strategies for constructing OHSs from cocrystals via self-assembly of NCIs.
• To analyze factors influencing cocrystal properties and the self-assembly of OHSs.
• To explore the optoelectronic applications of these OHSs.

Main Methods:

• Review of fundamental factors affecting cocrystal physicochemical properties (e.g., molecular arrangement, intermolecular interactions).
• Analysis of self-assembly processes for synthetic OHSs driven by single and multiple NCIs.
• Exploration of cocrystal sequential nucleation by regulating NCI strength.

Main Results:

• Strategies for constructing complex OHSs from cocrystals have been developed.
• Physicochemical properties of cocrystals are influenced by molecular arrangement and intermolecular interactions.
• OHSs demonstrate potential applications in optoelectronics.

Conclusions:

• OHSs offer a pathway to multi-functional optoelectronic devices by leveraging cocrystal self-assembly.
• Further research is needed to address challenges in OHS preparation and unlock future opportunities.
• Understanding NCIs is crucial for designing and synthesizing advanced OHS materials.