Construction of nanoaggregates from amphiphilic supramolecules containing barbiturate and Hamilton wedge units

The study of supramolecular morphology is gaining significant attention. This may be attributed to the fact that nanostructures of aggregates have been found to significantly influence the photoelectronic properties of supramolecular materials. In this study, the self-assembling behaviour of rod-coil molecules with barbiturate (Ba) or Hamilton wedge (Hw) units and the supramolecule Ba-Hw was investigated. In chloroform solution, molecule Hw consisted of an oligo-ethylene chain with degree of polymerization of 17 as well as biphenyl, phenyl and Hw units. Ba molecules incorporated octyloxy, biphenyl, phenyl and Ba groups that self-organized into nanofibres with different diameters. Supramolecular amphiphile Hw-Ba self-aggregated into different sizes of nanosheet-like aggregates. In a dimethylsulfoxide/H2O (1:19 v/v) mixed polar solvent, molecules Hw and Ba aggregated into twist-shaped and nanosheet aggregates, while the supramolecular Hw-Ba aggregated into larger-size microtubes. Experimental results obtained for these molecular assemblies suggest that combining Ba and Hw units by employing hydrogen bonds is an effective strategy for forming amphiphilic supramolecules. Compared with the individual rod-coil molecules Ba and Hw, supramolecule Hw-Ba has stronger pi-pi intermolecular forces due to the presence of more planar Hw-Ba building blocks, which form various supramolecular assemblies with less curvature than the rigid and flexible surfaces of the original molecules. (c) 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry.