Two-dimensional self-assembly of amphiphilic porphyrins on a dynamically shrinking droplet surface.
Developing a new field of molecular self-assembly in the sub-micrometer regime-with precision as high as that used to make discrete nano-sized molecular architectures through molecular design-is a major challenge for supramolecular chemistry. At present, however, there is no effective strategy for controlling the assembling molecules when their quantity is greater than one thousand. Herein, we propose a potential solution by exploiting a novel supramolecular system in conjunction with dynamically shrinking oil droplets, enabling more than a thousand component molecules to organize simultaneously into the form of sub-micrometer-scale ring structures. In our developed system, amphiphilic porphyrins, having potential two-dimensional assembling ability, were compartmentalized into droplets with narrow distributions and molecular numbers. These droplets were subsequently transformed into discrete ring-like structures during the process of solvent removal from the inner organic layer, i.e., shrinking the droplets. Unique self-assembled structures, which are not accessible through conventional supramolecular strategies, can be selectively created depending on the initial stage of the droplet.
Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8522, Japan. numata@kpu.ac.jp.
Munenori
M
Numata
Yusuke
Y
Takigami
Naoya
N
Hirose
Ryoichiro
R
Sakai
D010316:Particle Size; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013816:Thermodynamics
D011166:Porphyrins; D013501:Surface-Active Agents