Enthalpically and Entropically Favorable Self-Assembly: Synthesis of C4h-Symmetric Tetraazatetrathia[8]circulenes by Regioselective Introduction of Pyridine Rings

Self-assembly of π-conjugated molecules in solution generally occurs owing to either an enthalpic or an entropic gain; however, designing π-conjugated systems that simultaneously exhibit enthalpically and entropically favorable self-assembly behavior is challenging. Herein, the self-assembly behavior of tetraazatetrathia8]circulenes is disclosed, which is driven by both enthalpy and entropy. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated that molecules of these tetraazatetrathia8]circulenes form face-to-face stacked dimers with a 1D columnar structure owing to the circularly arranged dipole moments. Importantly, concentration- and temperature-dependent ¹H NMR spectra revealed that the formation of self-assemblies of tetraazatetrathia8]circulenes in chloroform and methanol is favored by both enthalpic and entropic factors. The unique association behavior is due to the presence of sp²-hybridized nitrogen atoms, which weakly coordinate to the hydrogen atoms of these solvents and reduce the π-electron density of the circulene cores.