Premium
Cucurbit[8]uril as Building Block for Facile Fabrication of Well‐Defined Organic Crystalline Nano‐objects with Multiple Morphologies and Compositions
Author(s) -
An Qi,
Dong Cheng,
Zhu Wei,
Tao Chengan,
Yang Haowei,
Wang Yingxia,
Li Guangtao
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201101933
Subject(s) - fabrication , nano , nanotechnology , block (permutation group theory) , materials science , well defined , supramolecular chemistry , chemistry , organic chemistry , molecule , composite material , medicine , mathematical analysis , alternative medicine , mathematics , pathology , geometry
Cucurbit[ n ]urils (CB[ n ]) have great potential in material and medical applications due to their advantageous molecular recognition properties. Despite organic microcrystals being highly desirable in materials science and the medical industry, CB[ n ]‐based micro‐ and nanocrystals have not been reported. A facile and efficient approach for producing CB[8]‐based organic crystals with well‐defined micro‐ and nanostructures is described, based on the unique host–guest chemistry of CB[8] macrocycle with small guest molecules. The described strategy allows fabrication of micro‐ and nanocrystals with multiple morphologies and compositions by simply adjusting the preparation conditions and the type of guest molecules. The mechanisms for the formation of the micro/nanocrystals are studied, and morphology‐dependent optical and thermal properties typical of organic micro/nanocrystals are described. Additionally, attractive potentials of the prepared microcrystals are shown upon storing small molecules, and in optical applications. The molecular recognition abilities of CB[8] are highlighted in both its preparation process and potential application.