title: Controlled nanodimensional supramolecular self-assembly of tetra-alkylated naphthalene diimide derivatives.
abstract: Construction of thermodynamically stable nanostructures on the nano- to millimeter scales through noncovalent bonding plays an important role in material science. The self-assembly of tetra-alkylamino core-substituted naphthalene diimides (cNDIs) with variable alkyl chains (C8H17, C12H25, and C16H33) added on to the core leads to the formation of a variety of controlled morphologies and well-defined nanostructures. Such structures include nanorods, vesicular, belts, twisted ribbons, and donutlike morphologies (formed in CHCl3/MeOH and CHCl3/hexane mixtures) generated through solvophobic control. UV/Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy demonstrate molecular aggregation in solution. Furthermore, SEM was employed to visualize the supramolecular self-assembled nanostructures. The growth of these structures is mainly due to packing of hydrophobic alkyl chains and π-π stacking of the cNDI core. The present study paves the way to rational and controlled designs of nanostructures made of optically active dyes (naphthalene diimide); this may open a new avenue towards tuning nanodimensional morphology.
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, VIC-3001 (Australia), Fax: (+61) 3-9925-3747. sheshanath.bhosale@rmit.edu.au.
authors.forename: Sheshanath V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Bhosale
authors.forename: Namdev V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Ghule
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Kobaisi
authors.forename: Melissa M A
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kelson
authors.forename: Sidhanath V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Bhosale
keywords: SEM; core-substituted naphthalene diimides; nanostructures; self-assembly; solvophobic control