One of the great challenges in molecular self-assembly is how to confer self-folding and closing characteristics on flat two-dimensional structures in response to external triggers. Herein, we report a planar ribbon assembly that folds into closed tubules in response to fructose. The ribbons, ≈28 nm wide and 3.5 nm thick, consist of 8 laterally-associated elementary fibrils in which disc-shaped macrocycle amphiphiles are stacked along their axis. Upon addition of fructose, these flat structures spontaneously fold into closed tubules, with an outer diameter of ≈8 nm, through zipping of the two sides of the ribbons. Notably, the folding and then zipping of the flat ribbons is accompanied by spontaneous capture of the fructose molecules inside the tubular cavities.

One of the great challenges in molecular self-assembly is how to confer self-folding and closing characteristics on flat two-dimensional structures in response to external triggers. Herein, we report a planar ribbon assembly that folds into closed tubules in response to fructose. The ribbons, ≈28 nm wide and 3.5 nm thick, consist of 8 laterally-associated elementary fibrils in which disc-shaped macrocycle amphiphiles are stacked along their axis. Upon addition of fructose, these flat structures spontaneously fold into closed tubules, with an outer diameter of ≈8 nm, through zipping of the two sides of the ribbons. Notably, the folding and then zipping of the flat ribbons is accompanied by spontaneous capture of the fructose molecules inside the tubular cavities.

A new class of π-conjugated, skewed H-shaped oligomers, consisting of biphenyl, phenylene vinylene, and phenylene ethynylene units as the rigid segment, were synthesized via Sonogashira coupling and Wittig reactions. The coil segments of these molecules were composed of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) or PEO with lateral methyl groups between the rod and coil segment, respectively. The experimental results revealed that the lateral methyl groups attached to the surface of the rod and coil segments dramatically influenced the self-assembling behavior of the molecules in the crystalline phase. H-shaped rod–coil molecules containing a lateral methyl group at the surface of the rod and PEO coil segments self-assemble into a two-dimensional columnar or a three-dimensional body-centered tetragonal nanostructures in the crystalline phase, whereas molecules lacking a lateral methyl group based on the PEO coil chain self-organize into lamellar or hexagonal perforated lamellar nanostructures. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 85–92

Threefold symmetric rigid-core molecules with an internally grafted poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chain were synthesized, and their self-assembled structures were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, TEM, and 1D and 2D X-ray scatterings in the solid state. The tripod compounds based on short PEO chains (n=8, 13, 17, 21), self-assemble into 2D channel-like network structures, whereas the compound with the longest PEO chain (n=34) forms a lamellar liquid crystalline phase. The interiors of the channel structures are filled with flexible PEO chains along the double-walled aromatic circumference. In these channel-like networks, three aromatic rods connected in the meta-position to each other are superimposed in parallel to other adjacent molecules to form the double-walled aromatic frameworks stacked perpendicular to the resulting channels. These are novel examples of supramolecular channel-like structures developed using amphiphilic diblock molecules based on a threefold symmetric rigid scaffold.

Self-assembly of polyaromatic systems has proved to be a powerful technique to construct nanoscale optoelectronic materials. However, attempts to develop self-assembled nanomaterials guided by pristine polyaromatic molecules have been limited. Here the construction of photoactive nanocapsules through the scission of an aromatic bilayer membrane driven by curved corannulene intercalation is reported. The framework of the capsule consists of the lateral array of corannulene, a buckyball fragment. The supramolecular capsules exhibit photocatalytic activity to degrade encapsulated fluorescein dye molecules under sunlight irradiation.

T-shaped coil–rod–coil oligomers, consisting of a dibenzo[a,c]phenazine unit and phenyl groups linked together with acetylenyl bonds at the 2,7-position of dibenzo[a,c]phenazine as a rigid segment have been synthesized. The coil segments of these new molecules composed of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)–poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) incorporating lateral methyl groups between the rod and coil segment and two flexible alkyl groups connecting with the rigid segment at the 4,6-position of dibenzo[a,c]phenazine, respectively. The experimental results reveal that the length of the flexible PEO coil chain influence construction of various supra-nanostructures from lamellar structure to rectangular columnar structure. It is also shown that introduction of different length of alkyl side chain groups in the backbone of the T-shaped molecules affect the self-organization behavior to form hexagonal perforate layer or oblique columnar structures. In addition, lateral methyl groups attached to the surface of rod and coil segments, dramatically influence the self-assembling behavior in the crystalline phase. T-shaped molecules containing a lateral methyl group at the surface of rod and PEO coil segments, self-assemble into 3D body-centered tetragonal structures in the crystalline phase, while molecules without a lateral methyl group based on PEO coil chain self-organize into 2D oblique columnar crystalline structures. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 5021–5028