Pathway complexity in π-conjugated materials

To arrive at functional organic materials with optimal molecular organization, control over the aggregation process is a prerequisite. Often however, multiple pathways are involved that compete for the same molecular building block, a phenomenon known as pathway complexity. As a result, the material–made from small molecules or polymers–can get entrapped in a metastable pathway while a more stable, but slower formed morphology is aimed for. Vice versa, the equilibrium state can be obtained easily but another, less stable morphology is desired as it has more interesting properties. In both cases, the solution processing, starting from molecularly dissolved material, should be optimized to select the desired aggregation pathway. This perspective aims to outline the importance of mechanistic insights derived from self-assembly of 1D fibers in diluted solutions to unravel and control aggregation pathways involved in the processing of p-conjugated materials

Pathway selection in peptide amphiphile assembly

\u3cp\u3eThe nature of supramolecular structures could be strongly affected by the pathways followed during their formation just as mechanisms and final outcomes in chemical reactions vary with the conditions selected. So far this is a largely unexplored area of supramolecular chemistry. We demonstrate here how different preparation protocols to self-assemble peptide amphiphiles in water can result in the formation of different supramolecular morphologies, either long filaments containing β-sheets or smaller aggregrates containing peptide segments in random coil conformation. We found that the assembly rate into β-sheets decreases in the presence of a destabilizing good solvent like hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) and is affected by transient conditions in solution. Also the peptide amphiphile investigated spontaneously nucleates the β-sheet-containing filaments at a critical fraction of HFIP in water below 21%. Furthermore, β-sheet assemblies have a high kinetic stability and, once formed, do not disassemble rapidly. We foresee that insights into the characteristic dynamics of a supramolecular system provide an efficient approach to select the optimum assembly pathway necessary for function.\u3c/p\u3

Steric constraints induced frustrated growth of supramolecular nanorods in water

\u3cp\u3eA unique example of supramolecular polymerisation in water based on monomers with nanomolar affinities, which yield rod-like materials with extraordinarily high thermodynamic stability, yet of finite length, is reported. A small library of charge-neutral dendritic peptide amphiphiles was prepared, with a branched nonaphenylalanine-based core that was conjugated to hydrophilic dendrons of variable steric demand. Below a critical size of the dendron, the monomers assemble into nanorod-like polymers, whereas for larger dendritic side chains frustrated growth into near isotropic particles is observed. The supramolecular morphologies observed by electron microscopy, X-ray scattering and diffusion NMR spectroscopy studies are in agreement with the mechanistic insights obtained from fitting polymerisation profiles: non-cooperative isodesmic growth leads to degrees of polymerisation that match the experimentally determined nanorod contour lengths of close to 70 nm. The reported designs for aqueous self-assembly into well-defined anisotropic particles has promising potential for biomedical applications and the development of functional supramolecular biomaterials, with emerging evidence that anisotropic shapes in carrier design outperform conventional isotropic materials for targeted imaging and therapy.\u3c/p\u3

Discrete π-Stacks from self-assembled perylenediimide analogues

\u3cp\u3eThe formation of well-defined finite-sized aggregates represents an attractive goal in supramolecular chemistry. In particular, construction of discrete π-stacked dye assemblies remains a challenge. Reported here is the design and synthesis of a novel type of discrete π-stacked aggregate from two comparable perylenediimide (PDI) dyads (PEP and PBP). The criss-cross PEP-PBP dimers in solution and (PBP-PEP)-(PEP-PBP) tetramers in the solid state are well elucidated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, and diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy. Extensive π–π stacking between the PDI units of PEP and PBP as well as repulsive interactions of swallow-tailed alkyl substituents are responsible for the selective formation of discrete dimer and tetramer stacks. Our results reveal a new approach to preparing discrete π stacks that are appealing for making assemblies with well-defined optoelectronic properties.\u3c/p\u3