title: Irreversible Conversion of a Water-Ethanol Solution into an Organized Two-Dimensional Network of Alternating Supramolecular Units in a Hydrophobic Zeolite under Pressure.
abstract: Turning disorder into organization is a key issue in science. By making use of X-ray powder diffraction and modeling studies, we show herein that high pressures in combination with the shape and space constraints of the hydrophobic all-silica zeolite ferrierite separate an ethanol-water liquid mixture into ethanol dimer wires and water tetramer squares. The confined supramolecular blocks alternate in a binary two-dimensional (2D) architecture that remains stable upon complete pressure release. These results support the combined use of high pressures and porous networks as a viable strategy for driving the organization of molecules or nano-objects towards complex, pre-defined patterns relevant for the realization of novel functional nanocomposites.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Torino, Via Valperga Caluso 35, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9878-8657
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arletti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienza ed Alta Tecnologia, Università dell'Insubria and INSTM, Via Valleggio 9, 22100, Como, Italy.
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7170-8458
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fois
authors.affiliation: Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14, 34149, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gigli
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4050-7311
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vezzalini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università di Messina, Viale F. Stagno D'Alcontres 31, 98166, Messina S. Agata, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5646-8057
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quartieri
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienza ed Alta Tecnologia, Università dell'Insubria and INSTM, Via Valleggio 9, 22100, Como, Italy.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1988-6775
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tabacchi
keywords: X-ray diffraction; density functional calculations; high-pressure chemistry; self-assembly; zeolites