Selective intercalation of six ligand molecules in a self-assembled triple helix

The addition of a ligand molecule to an artificial self-assembled triple helix leads to the selective intercalation of two hydrogen-bonded trimers in specific binding pockets. Furthermore, the triple helix suffers large conformational rearrangements in order to accommodate the ligand molecules in a highly organized manner.     

Gel-like lyomesophases formed in organic solvents by self-assembled guanine ribbons

Lipophilic guanosine derivatives are self-assembled into ribbonlike aggregates, both in the crystal state and in solution. The structure of the ribbons has been characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and, in solution, by NMR spectroscopy and ESI-MS. Two different ribbons with different patterns of hydrogen bonds are present in the solid state and in chloroform solutions. The gel-like phases obtained in hexadecane, toluene and chloroform have been investigated by optical microscopy and small-angle X-ray diffraction: the type of phase observed is related to the molecular structure of the compounds and depends dramatically on the solvent. The structures of the phases are discussed, with the presence of the two different ribbons being taken into account.     

A reversible reaction inside a self-assembled capsule

Reversible encapsulation allows the direct observation of the isolated molecules under ambient conditions, at equilibrium and in the liquid phase. Here we show that capsules can amplify and stabilize molecules that are present in only trace concentrations in solution. Evidence is given that reversible chemical reactions take place within the capsule. Stabilization of reaction intermediates is a characteristic property of enzymes and is widely regarded as an essential feature of catalytic activity. Reactive molecules can also be stabilized by encapsulation, a process that involves completely surrounding the reactive species within synthetic receptors. Here, we show that self-assembled capsules can isolate and stabilize molecules that are present in only trace amounts in solution. The system amplifies the concentrations of high-energy species with reduced entropies.     

A novel self-assembled organic tubular structure

A novel organic tubular structure with the walls consisting of aromatic rings was constructed by the self-assembly of a two-dimensional sheet-like molecule in the solid state.     

Hygroscopic growth of self-assembled layered surfactant molecules at the interface between air and organic salts

We report here the self-assembly of surfactant molecules at the interface of air and the hygroscopic quaternary ammonium salt tetrabutylammonium acetate (TBAAc). Homogeneously dissolved surfactant molecules at 100 degrees C self-assemble upon contacting air due to high moisture adsorption by the organic salt when cooling down. Highly ordered lamellar phases with different lattice spacings have been observed when surfactants with various lengths of alkyl chains were used. C(n)TMAB/TBAAc systems showed all-trans conformation of interior methylene carbons and interdigited bilayers with an average CH2 increment of 0.119 nm, while C(n)NH2/TBAAc systems showed trans/gauche mixed conformations of interior methylene carbons and bilayers with an average CH2 increment of 0.247 nm. C(n)NH2s in C(n)NH2/TBAAc formed bilayers through water-mediated intermolecular hydrogen bonds with a water layer thickness of 0.51-0.61 nm. In C(n)TAB/TBAAc, as the head group of C(n)TAB is bigger, the interdigited bilayer thickness (d-spacing) is smaller, because the bigger head groups accommodate enough space for alkyl tails to come in between them.     

A self-assembled cylindrical capsule: new supramolecular phenomena through encapsulation

The synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of self-assembled cylindrical capsule 1a x 1a of nanometer dimensions is described. Encapsulation studies of large organic guest molecules were performed by using 1H NMR sprectroscopy in [D12]mesitylene solution. In addition to the computational (MacroModel 5.5, Amber* force field) analysis of the capsule's shape and geometry, an experimental approach towards estimation of the internal cavity dimensions is described. This involves using series of homologous molecular "rulers" (e.g. aromatic amides 5a-i). The available space inside the capsule 1a x 1a can be estimated as 5.7 x 14.7 A (error +/- 0.2 A) with this technique. Dibenzoyl peroxide is readily encapsulated in [D12]mesitylene and was shown to be stable to decomposition for at least three days at 70 degrees C inside the capsule. Moreover, 1a x 1a prevents the encapsulated peroxide from oxidizing Ph3P or diphenyl carbazide present in solution. The normal chemical reactivity of the peroxide is restored by release from the capsule by DMF, a solvent that competes for the hydrogen bonds that hold the capsule together. The protection and release of encapsulated species augurs well for the application of capsules in catalysis and delivery.     

Toroidal molecules formed from three distinct carbon nanotubes

In order to design nanotori for nanomechanical systems, perhaps involving oscillating components, precise physical parameters for the nanotori are necessary. Toroidal shaped molecules of carbon have been investigated previously by the present authors as constructed by connecting elbow sections formed from joining armchair and zigzag nanotubes through a pentagonal–heptagonal pair defect. In this paper, we extend this design by constructing the elbow structures from three distinct carbon nanotubes. Since for a toroidal molecule, there is a constraint on the bend angles in the elbow sections to add up to 360°, particular elbow types which can accommodate this requirement are (5,0)–(4,4)–(7,0) and (3,3)–(6,0)–(4,4). We adopt a least squares approach for the bond length to minimise the variation from the ideal carbon–carbon bond length, which is taken to be σ = 1.42 Å. Moreover, formulae for the mean generating radius of the nanotori and the mean radius of the nanotubes are obtained from certain integral expressions. This purely geometrical approach can be formally directly related to certain numerical energy minimisation methods used by a number of authors.     

Electrochemical properties of self-assembled monolayers of tripod-shaped molecules and their applications to organic light-emitting diodes

Self-assembled monolayers of a tripod-shaped conjugated-thiol grafted onot Au(111) substrates are found to show electrochemically reversible oxidation and reduction and to improve electroluminescence performances of organic light-emitting diodes.     

A self-assembled supramolecular organic material for selective extraction of uranium from aqueous solution

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - A supramolecular organic material MA-IPA containing melamine and isophthalic acid was prepared by low-temperature hydrothermal reaction, with an...     

A templating approach for monodisperse self-assembled organic nanostructures

The precise structural control is known for self-assembly into closed spherical structures (e.g., micelles), but similar control of open structures is much more challenging. Inspired by natural tobacco mosaic virus, we present the use of a rigid-rod template to control the size of a one-dimensional self-assembly. We believe that this strategy is novel for organic self-assembly and should provide a general approach to controlling size and dimension.     

Electrochemical release of amine molecules from carbamate-based, electroactive self-assembled monolayers

In this paper, carbamate-based self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiolates on gold were suggested as a versatile platform for release of amine-bearing molecules in response to the electrical signal. The designed SAMs underwent the electrochemical oxidation on the gold surface with simultaneous release of the amine molecules. The synthesis of the thiol compounds was achieved by coupling isocyanate-containing compounds with hydroquinone. The electroactive thiol was mixed with 11-mercaptoundecanol [HS(CH(2))(11)OH] to form a mixed monolayer, and cyclic votammetry was used for the characterization of the release behaviors. The mixed SAMs showed a first oxidation peak at +540 mV (versus Ag/AgCl reference electrode), indicating the irreversible conversion from carbamate to hydroquinone groups with simultaneous release of the amine molecules. The analysis of ToF-SIMS further indicated that the electrochemical reaction on the gold surface successfully released amine molecules.     

Substrate-induced modulation of the Raman scattering signals from self-assembled organic nanometric films

Raman scattering signals recorded by microscopy from organic self-assembled monolayers (thin nanometric films of calibrated thickness) on silica substrates were found to be much stronger than those obtained from identical films assembled on bulk silicon substrates. This effect, observed in the backscattering geometry, is shown to result from interferences between the direct and reflected beams (including both the excitation and scattered radiation) in front of a smooth reflecting surface. Strong dependence of the effect on the distance between the sampled monolayer and the bulk silicon substrate allows enhancement of the Raman signals of organic monolayer films on silicon by factors up to approximately 70 by using appropriate silica spacers. The dependence of the Raman signal intensity on film thickness was also studied for thicker nanometric films comprising a series of self-assembled organosilane multilayers on bulk silicon and fused silica substrates, and the predicted deviation from linearity in the case of the silicon substrate is experimentally confirmed.     

Experimental and computational probes of a self-assembled capsule

[reaction: see text] This research was undertaken to explore the interior surface of a synthetic receptor 1.1 with arylpyridines as guests. The interior surface differentiates the guests through the recognition of their nitrogen atoms. Experimental and computational analyses revealed that there is a delicate balance of attractions and repulsions between the host and the lone pairs of guests.     

Temperature dependence of the optical rotation in six bicyclic organic molecules calculated by vibrational averaging.

The vibrational corrections and the temperature dependence of the specific rotation of six rigid organic molecules (alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, cis-pinane, camphene, camphor, and fenchone) were calculated at three wavelengths using hybrid time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). A technique for calculating the temperature dependence of the vibrational average of a molecular property has been applied to obtain the specific rotation of the molecules as a function of temperature. For cases in which accurate equilibrium optical rotations can be obtained as a "base value," and for which there is little effect from solvation, accurate predictions of the trends in the temperature-dependence of the specific rotations can be calculated. For other cases, the method can be used to extract purely vibrational contributions to the overall temperature dependence of optical rotation.     

Structural effects on the barrier properties of self-assembled monolayers formed from long-chain omega-alkoxy-n-alkanethiols on copper

The adsorption of long-chain omega-alkoxy-n-alkanethiols [CH(3)(CH(2))(p-1)O(CH(2))(m)SH; m = 11, 19, 22; p = 18, 22] onto copper produces self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) that can provide protection against corrosion of the underlying metal substrate. The resulting films are 40-60 A in thickness and are isostructural with SAMs formed on copper from unsubstituted n-alkanethiols. As evidenced by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the barrier properties of these ether-containing SAMs depend on the chain length of the adsorbate and the position of the ethereal unit along the hydrocarbon chain. For SAMs where the ether substitution is farther from the copper surface, the initial coating resistances are similar to those projected for unsubstituted n-alkanethiolate SAMs of similar thickness. For SAMs where the ether substitution is nearer to the copper surface (m = 11), the resistances are significantly less than those for unsubstituted n-alkanethiolate SAMs of similar thickness, reflecting the effect of the molecular structure on the barrier properties of the film. Upon exposure to 1 atm of O(2) at 100% RH, the SAMs become less densely packed as observed by infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and their barrier properties deteriorate as observed by EIS. The rate that the SAMs lose their barrier properties upon exposure to oxidizing conditions is correlated to the strength of intermolecular interactions within the bulk state of the adsorbate.     

以手性两亲小分子自组装体为模板制备介孔二氧化硅空心球

合成了手性阳离子型两亲性小分子化合物,利用圆二色谱分析了其在水中形成的自组装体的结构;以该化合物的自组装体为模板,在正丙醇和氨水的混合溶剂中制备得到了介孔二氧化硅空心球;利用扫描电镜、透射电镜、X射线衍射仪以及氮气吸附-脱附试验装置分析了二氧化硅空心球的形貌及孔结构.结果表明,两亲性小分子在水中形成的自组装体呈现手性堆积;合成的介孔二氧化硅空心球的直径约为600~800nm,壁厚约为100~150nm,其孔道垂直于球的表面,孔径约为3.0nm,比表面积约为306m2·g-1.正丙醇作为模板控制二氧化硅空心球的空腔尺寸和形貌,而两亲性小分子的自组装体作为模板控制放射状孔道的形貌和尺寸.     

Hydration of isocyanates in an expandable, self-assembled capsule

A self-assembled capsule facilitates reactions of isocyanates with water. The capsule provides an amphiphilic environment with hydrophobic aromatic ends and hydrophilic glycoluril units at the center. Reaction takes place in the narrow, cylindrical space to form the N,N-dialkylurea, which then appears in a longer capsule.