Institution: | 1. State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002 P. R. China;2. State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002 P. R. China
College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002 P. R. China;3. State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002 P. R. China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 P. R. China;4. College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, Fujian Normal University, 32 Shangsan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350007 P. R. China |
Abstract: | Intricate superstructures possess unusual structural features and promising applications. The preparation of superstructures with single-crystalline nature are conducive to understanding the structure–property relationship, however, remains an intriguing challenge. Herein we put forward a new hierarchical assembly strategy towards rational and precise construction of intricate single-crystal superstructures. Firstly, two unprecedented superclusters in Rubik's cube's form with a size of ≈2×2×2 nm3 are constructed by aggregation of eight {Pr4Sb12} oxohalide clusters as secondary building units (SBUs). Then, the Rubik's cubes further act as isolable tertiary building units (TBUs) to assemble diversified single-crystal superstructures. Importantly, intermediate assembly states are captured, which helps illustrate the evolution of TBU-based superstructures and thus provides a profound understanding of the assembly process of superstructures at the atomic level. |