Fabrication of diverse nano-architectures through the selfassembly of a naphthalene diimide derivative bearing four carbamates

Abstract

A naphthalene diimide (NDI) derivative bearing four carbamate groups (coded as: W2) was synthesised using a multistep strategy, and utilizing solvophobic effects the self-assembly of this molecule was studied usingsolvent mixtures. Selfassembly led to a variety of controllable morphologies on both micro and nanoscale supramolecular structures. Nanobelts, nanospheres, nano-corals, microflowers and nanograss-like morphologies were obtained in DMF, MCH, CHCl3, THF, water and MeOH solvent mixtures. The aggregation of W2 in solution was studied using UV-vis absorption, fluorescence emission spectroscopy, FT-IR and XRD gave insight intothe mode of aggregation of W2 in various solvents. The polarity of the solvent mixtures used directed the self-organisation of W2 by drives the ?-? stacking interaction between NDI cores, and the H-bondingbetween the carbamate moieties. Our studies show that the solvent polarity guides the self-assembly process during solvent evaporation leading to the formation of supramolecular nano- and microstructures under ambient conditions.