In this work, we report the formation of superstructures assembled from organic tubular crystals mediated by metal-coordination chemistry. This template-free process involves the crystallization of molecules into crystals having a rectangular and uniform morphology, which then go on to fuse together into multibranched superstructures. The initially hollow and organic crystals are obtained under solvothermal conditions in the presence of a copper salt, whereas the superstructures are subsequently formed by aging the reaction mixture at room temperature. The mild thermodynamic conditions and the favorable kinetics of this unique self-assembly process allowed us to ex-situ monitor the superstructure formation by electron microscopy, highlighting a pivotal and unusual role for copper ions in their formation and stabilization.
Metal-Coordination-Induced Fusion Creates Hollow Crystalline Molecular Superstructures / Di Gregorio, M. C.; Ranjan, P.; Houben, L.; Shimon, L. J. W.; Rechav, K.; Lahav, M.; Van Der Boom, M. E.. - In: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. - ISSN 0002-7863. - 140:29(2018), pp. 9132-9139. [10.1021/jacs.8b03055]
Metal-Coordination-Induced Fusion Creates Hollow Crystalline Molecular Superstructures
Di Gregorio M. C.;
2018
Abstract
In this work, we report the formation of superstructures assembled from organic tubular crystals mediated by metal-coordination chemistry. This template-free process involves the crystallization of molecules into crystals having a rectangular and uniform morphology, which then go on to fuse together into multibranched superstructures. The initially hollow and organic crystals are obtained under solvothermal conditions in the presence of a copper salt, whereas the superstructures are subsequently formed by aging the reaction mixture at room temperature. The mild thermodynamic conditions and the favorable kinetics of this unique self-assembly process allowed us to ex-situ monitor the superstructure formation by electron microscopy, highlighting a pivotal and unusual role for copper ions in their formation and stabilization.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
