Modularly Constructed Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane-Based Giant Molecules for Unconventional Nanostructure Fabrication

Controlled assembly of nanoscale building blocks is a promising approach to obtain functional materials with unique properties. Here, we report a way to manipulate the supramolecular structures of giant molecules based on discotic triangle cores and isobutyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (BPOSS) nanoparticles (NPs). It is found that depending upon the number of BPOSS at the periphery of the discotic cores, the packing of these nanoscale components (discotic core and POSS) could be manipulated into either cylindrical or Frank-Kasper (F-K) A15 (Pm (3) over barn) phases. The formation of these supramolecular nanostructures is mandated by the balance between the stacking of the discotic cores and the steric hindrance effect of the BPOSS NPs. This strategy to manipulate the packing of nanoscale building blocks for different supramolecular nanostructures including the fabrication of cylindrical structures and A15 (Pm (3) over barn) phases may be extended to other nanoscale building blocks for future development of materials with complex structures as well as tailored functionalities and properties.