Controlling the crystalline three-dimensional order in bulk materials by single-wall carbon nanotubes.
The construction of ordered single-wall carbon nanotube soft-materials at the nanoscale is currently an important challenge in science. Here we use single-wall carbon nanotubes as a tool to gain control over the crystalline ordering of three-dimensional bulk materials composed of suitably functionalized molecular building blocks. We prepare p-type nanofibres from tripeptide and pentapeptide-containing small molecules, which are covalently connected to both carboxylic and electron-donating 9,10-di(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)-9,10-dihydroanthracene termini. Adding small amounts of single-wall carbon nanotubes to the so-prepared p-nanofibres together with the externally controlled self assembly by charge screening by means of Ca(2+) results in new and stable single-wall carbon nanotube-based supramolecular gels featuring remarkably long-range internal order.
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de C. C. Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid and IMDEA-Nanociencia, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Javier
J
López-Andarias
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de C. C. Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid and IMDEA-Nanociencia, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Juan Luis
JL
López
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de C. C. Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid and IMDEA-Nanociencia, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Carmen
C
Atienza
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de C. C. Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid and IMDEA-Nanociencia, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Fulvio G
FG
Brunetti
Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy & Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Egerlandstraße 3, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
Carlos
C
Romero-Nieto
Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy & Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Egerlandstraße 3, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
Dirk M
DM
Guldi
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de C. C. Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid and IMDEA-Nanociencia, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Nazario
N
Martín
D000873:Anthracenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry; D005782:Gels / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D053838:Scattering, Small Angle
D000873:Anthracenes; D005782:Gels; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D002118:Calcium