Title: Breaking Parallel Orientation of Rods via a Dendritic Architecture toward Diverse Supramolecular Structures

Abstract

Abstract Self‐assembled nanostructures of rod‐like molecules are commonly limited to nematic or layered smectic structures dominated by the parallel arrangement of the rod‐like components. Distinct self‐assembly behavior of four categories of dendritic rods constructed by placing a tri(hydroxy) group at the apex of dendritic oligo‐fluorenes is observed. Designed hydrogen bonding and dendritic architecture break the parallel arrangement of the rods, resulting in molecules with specific (fan‐like or cone‐like) shapes. While the fan‐shaped molecules tend to form hexagonal packing cylindrical phases, the cone‐shaped molecules could form spherical motifs to pack into various ordered structures, including the Frank–Kasper A15 phase and dodecagonal quasicrystal. This study provides a model system to engineer diverse supramolecular structures by rod‐like molecules and sheds new light into the mechanisms of the formation of unconventional spherical packing structures in soft matter.

Authors:

Zhang, Ruimeng ^[1]; Feng, Xueyan ^[2]; Zhang, Rui ^[3]; Shan, Wenpeng ^[2]; Su, Zebin ^[2]; Mao, Jialin ^[4]; Wesdemiotis, Chrys ^[5]; Huang, Jiahao ^[2]; Yan, Xiao‐Yun ^[2]; Liu, Tong ^[2]; Li, Tao ^[6]; Huang, Mingjun ^[3]; Lin, Zhiwei  ^[2];

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Shi, An‐Chang  ^[7];

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Cheng, Stephen Z. D.  ^[1]

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-1448-0546"
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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology School of Molecular Science and Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510640 China, Department of Polymer Science College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering The University of Akron Akron OH 44325-3909 USA
2. Department of Polymer Science College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering The University of Akron Akron OH 44325-3909 USA
3. South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology School of Molecular Science and Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510640 China
4. Department of Chemistry The University of Akron Akron OH 44325 USA
5. Department of Polymer Science College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering The University of Akron Akron OH 44325-3909 USA, Department of Chemistry The University of Akron Akron OH 44325 USA
6. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Northern Illinois University DeKalb IL 60115 USA, X-ray Science Division Advanced Photon Source Argonne National Laboratory Argonne IL 60439 USA
7. Department of Physics and Astronomy McMaster University Hamilton Ontario L8S 4M1 Canada

Publication Date:

2019-07-15

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1548758

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC02-06CH11357

Resource Type:

Publisher's Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Angewandte Chemie (International Edition)

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) Journal Volume: 58 Journal Issue: 34; Journal ID: ISSN 1433-7851

Publisher:

Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)

Country of Publication:

Germany

Language:

English