title: Aligned 1-D nanorods of a π-gelator exhibit molecular orientation and excitation energy transport different from entangled fiber networks.
abstract: Linear π-gelators self-assemble into entangled fibers in which the molecules are arranged perpendicular to the fiber long axis. However, orientation of gelator molecules in a direction parallel to the long axes of the one-dimensional (1-D) structures remains challenging. Herein we demonstrate that, at the air-water interface, an oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)-derived π-gelator forms aligned nanorods of 340 ± 120 nm length and 34 ± 5 nm width, in which the gelator molecules are reoriented parallel to the long axis of the rods. The orientation change of the molecules results in distinct excited-state properties upon local photoexcitation, as evidenced by near-field scanning optical microscopy. A detailed understanding of the mechanism by which excitation energy migrates through these 1-D molecular assemblies might help in the design of supramolecular structures with improved charge-transport properties.
authors.affiliation: World Premier International (WPI) Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) , 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 3050044, Japan.
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