Search

While manipulating the helicity of nanostructures is a challenging task, it attracts great research interest on account of its crucial role in better understanding the formation mechanisms of helical systems. For the supramolecular chirality in self-assembly systems, one challenge is how to understand the origin of supramolecular chirality and inherent helicity information on nanostructures regulated by functionality-oriented stacking modes (such as J- and H-aggregation) of building blocks. Herein, two-component hydrogels were prepared by phenylalanine-based enantiomers and achiral bis(pyridinyl) derivatives, where helical nanofibers with inverse handedness as well as controllable helical pitch and diameter were readily obtained through stoichiometric coassembly of these building blocks. The helix inversion was achieved by the transition between the J- and H-aggregation of bis(pyridinyl) derivatives, which was collectively confirmed by circular dichroism, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and single X-ray crystallography. Interestingly, the helical coassemblies with opposite handedness could be obtained not only from the enantiomeric building blocks but also from the chiral monomers with the same configurational chirality by exchanging achiral additives. This work provides insight into the origin and helicity inversion of supramolecular chirality in molecular self-assembly systems and may shine light on the precise fabrication of chiral nanostructures for potential applications in smart display devices, optoelectronics, and biological systems. NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore) MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)

Facile tuning of photophysical properties is highly desirable for boosting the performance and versatility of photoluminescent materials. In an attempt to overcome the challenge of achieving the photoswitching of multicolor luminescence on unimolecular platforms, we here report a novel hierarchical self-assembly of a cyanostilbene–naphthalimide dyad as the realization of phototunable luminescence at the unimolecular level. The work takes advantage of the photoisomerization of the cyanostilbene moiety from the Z form to its E form, which causes a morphological disorder in the molecular self-assembly and gives rise to a dual fluorescent characteristic accompanied by a progressive luminescent color conversion from yellow to green and finally to blue. Such systems with convertible multicolor luminescence might exhibit application potentials for unimolecular selective imaging and labeling, as exemplified by the cell imaging studies presented in this work.

In nanoscience, chirality has shown a significant ability to tune materials’ electronic properties, whereas imposing macrochirality into the regulation of singlet–triplet features of organic optoelectronics remains a challenging research topic. Since the tuning for singlet and triplet excited-state properties in a single π-functional molecule connects to its multicolor luminescent application and potential improvement of internal quantum efficiency, we here report that supramolecular chirality can be employed to toggle the singlet and triplet emissions in a well-designed asterisk-shaped molecule. Employing a hexathiobenzene-based single luminophore as a prototype and functionalizing it with chiral α-lipoiate side groups, we find that helical nanoarchitectures can accordingly form in mixed DMF/H2O solution. On this basis, switching between fluorescence and phosphorescence of the material can be realized upon helical self-assembly and dissociation. Such a behavior can be attributed to a helical-conformation...

With the aim to achieve rapid and efficient topochemical polymerizations in the solid state, via solution-based processing of thin films, we report the integration of a diphenyldiacetylene monomer and a poly(styrene-b-acrylic acid) block copolymer template for the generation of supramolecular architectural photopolymerizable materials. This strategy takes advantage of non-covalent interactions to template a topochemical photopolymerization that yields a polydiphenyldiacetylene (PDPDA) derivative. In thin films, it was found that hierarchical self-assembly of the diacetylene monomers by microphase segregation of the block copolymer template enhances the topochemical photopolymerization, which is complete within a 20 s exposure to UV light. Moreover, UV-active cross-linkable groups were incorporated within the block copolymer template to create micropatterns of PDPDA by photolithography, in the same step as the polymerization reaction. The materials design and processing may find potential uses in the microfabrication of sensors and other important areas that benefit from solution-based processing of flexible conjugated materials.

Imposing chirality into nanoscale superstructures is a major step forward toward systematic understanding and utilization of nanomaterials. In an attempt to achieve tunable chirality during in situ preparation of hybrid nanomaterials, we here report a novel unimolecular strategy of employing a coordinatable organogelator for the realization of chirality control in the formation of gold nanoparticle superstructures. The work takes advantage of thermally reversible sol–gel transition of the chiral dispersion as template, which causes different micelle properties that can influence the coordination ability between the organogelator and Au(III) ions. Followed by a reduction reaction, gold nanoparticle superstructures with P-helicity were prepared from the sol form of the template through a coordination-induced chiral inversion, whereas those with M-helicity were obtained from the gel form with chiral holding. Such superstructures are solvent-stable and the chirality difference between them could be observed in many solvent environments.