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Breaking Parallel Orientation of Rods via a Dendritic Architecture toward Diverse Supramolecular Structures
Author(s) -
Zhang Ruimeng,
Feng Xueyan,
Zhang Rui,
Shan Wenpeng,
Su Zebin,
Mao Jialin,
Wesdemiotis Chrys,
Huang Jiahao,
Yan XiaoYun,
Liu Tong,
Li Tao,
Huang Mingjun,
Lin Zhiwei,
Shi AnChang,
Cheng Stephen Z. D.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201904749
Subject(s) - supramolecular chemistry , rod , molecule , self assembly , materials science , liquid crystal , crystallography , nanostructure , chemical physics , soft matter , nanotechnology , chemistry , crystal structure , optoelectronics , medicine , alternative medicine , organic chemistry , colloid , pathology
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.