Helical Nanofibers from Aqueous Self-Assembly of an Oligo(p-phenylene)-Based Molecular Dumbbell

• Published in: Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 127; no. 27; pp. 9668 - 9669
• Main Authors: Bae, Jinyoung, Choi, Jin-Ho, Yoo, Yong-Sik, Oh, Nam-Keun, Kim, Byung-Sun, Lee, Myongsoo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 13.07.2005
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanotubes; Physics; Transmission electron microscopy; Phenylene derivative polymer; Molecular assembly; Synthetic fiber; Aromatic polymer; Molecular aggregation; Nanostructured materials; Polymer structure; Amphiphilic polymer
• ISSN: 0002-7863; 1520-5126
• DOI: 10.1021/ja051961m

We have synthesized an amphiphilic dumbbell-shaped molecule consisting of dodeca-p-phenylene and aliphatic polyether dendrons as flexible end groups. The molecular dumbbell in aqueous solution self-assembles into well-defined left-handed helical cylinders with a diameter (8 nm) of a molecular length scale and a pitch length of 5.6 nm, as confirmed by TEM. These elementary helical fibrils are further assembled to give left-handed superhelical fibers with lengths up to several micrometers. Such a well-defined helical arrangement of conjugated rod building blocks may provide a new strategy for the design of one-dimensional nanostructured materials with biomimetic, electronic, and photonic functions.