title: Tailored one- and two-dimensional self-assembly of a perylene diimide derivative in organic solvents.
abstract: We report on studies of the tailored self-assembly of the perylene diimide derivative, N,N'-ditridecylperylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide, into structures with fibrous gel-type, one-dimensional, and two-dimensional morphologies. This approach for producing highly ordered nanostructures of well-defined morphologies utilizes a property of π-conjugated molecules to assemble in poor organic solvents due to π-π interaction between the aromatic cores and takes advantage of the temperature dependence of solubility. The morphology control is based on a fine-tuning of anisotropic, intermolecular solute-solute interactions that are attenuated by the solute-solvent interaction in organic solvents of different chemical structure. We discuss the role of light illumination in the self-assembly process as well as application of ultrasonic treatment as a way of mechanical tailoring of morphology. This approach paves the way toward the molecular-scale tailoring of structural properties of organic semiconducting materials for electronic and optoelectronic applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States.
authors.forename: Michal T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Usowicz
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: Kenneth D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: Volodimyr V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Duzhko
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D002722:Chlorobenzenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D002725:Chloroform / Q000737:chemistry*; D007094:Imides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D010569:Perylene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D012995:Solubility; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D014050:Toluene / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D002722:Chlorobenzenes; D007094:Imides; D012997:Solvents; C521332:perylenediimide; C007548:n-dodecane; D014050:Toluene; D010569:Perylene; D002725:Chloroform; C031294:chlorobenzene