title: From Weakness to Strength: C-H/π-Interaction-Guided Self-Assembly and Gelation of Poly(benzyl ether) Dendrimers.
abstract: The C-H/π interactions as the key driving force for the construction of supramolecular gels remain a great challenge because of their weak nature. We hereby employed for the first time weak C-H/π interactions for the construction of supramolecular dendritic gels based on peripherally methyl-functionalized poly(benzyl ether) dendrimers. Their gelation property is highly dependent on the nature of the peripheral methyl groups. Furthermore, single-crystal X-ray analysis and NMR spectroscopy revealed that multiple C-H/π interactions between the proton of the methyl group and the electron-rich peripheral methyl-substituted aryl ring played significant roles in the formation of supramolecular nanofibers and organogels. This study uncovers the critical role of weak noncovalent interactions and provides new insights into the further design of self-assembled nanomaterials.
authors.affiliation: Beijing National Laboratory for Molecule Sciences (BNLMS), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China.|Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Chemistry and Applications of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University , Xiangtan 411105, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Beijing National Laboratory for Molecule Sciences (BNLMS), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Chemistry and Applications of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University , Xiangtan 411105, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Jun
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Beijing National Laboratory for Molecule Sciences (BNLMS), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Beijing National Laboratory for Molecule Sciences (BNLMS), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Hua
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Fan