title: Light-induced Ostwald ripening of organic nanodots to rods.
abstract: Ostwald ripening allows the synthesis of 1D nanorods of metal and semiconductor nanoparticles. However, this phenomenon is unsuccessful with organic π-systems due to their spontaneous self-assembly to elongated fibers or tapes. Here we demonstrate the uses of light as a versatile tool to control the ripening of amorphous organic nanodots (ca. 15 nm) of an azobenzene-derived molecular assembly to micrometer-sized supramolecular rods. A surface-confined dipole variation associated with a low-yield (13-14%) trans-cis isomerization of the azobenzene moiety and the consequent dipole-dipole interaction in a nonpolar solvent is believed to be the driving force for the ripening of the nanodots to rods.
authors.affiliation: Photosciences and Photonics Group, Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, CSIR, Trivandrum-695019, India.
authors.forename: Sankarapillai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahesh
authors.forename: Anesh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gopal
authors.forename: Rajasekaran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thirumalai
authors.forename: Ayyappanpillai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ajayaghosh