On the Formation of Nanostructures from Stilbazolium-like Dyes

Nanostructures with well-defined shape and highly monodisperse size were fabricated from model stilbazolium-like dyes with specific molecular structural and conformational characteristics. With the help of absorption and fluorescence optical spectroscopy, the correlated spectroscopy (COSY) and two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (2D NOESY) techniques, along with X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement, distinctively different aggregation processes of the model molecules are demonstrated. For model dye molecule with linear donor–π system–acceptor (D–π–A) structure, strong D–A pair, and planar conformation, specific intermolecular interaction was identified and special crystal structures as well as spectral properties were observed. For model dye molecules bearing nonlinear D–π–A–π–D structure, weak D–A pair but actual amphiphilic characteristics, a special aggregation process was confirmed and a focused size distribution of the produced nanostructures was obtained.