Molecular-Oriented Self-Assembly of Small Organic Molecules into Uniform Microspheres

Abstract

Self-assembly of small organic π-conjugated molecules into micro- and nanostructures has drawn much attention because of their wide applications in miniature optoelectronic devices. Many efforts have been focused on the controlled fabrication of organic micro/nanostructures, which are determined by various factors including kinetic and thermodynamic process but still remain poorly understood. In our research, two π-conjugated molecules of (E)-3-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)-1-(4-fluoro-2-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (DFHP) and (E)-3-(4-(bis(4-methoxyphenyl)amino)phenyl)-1-(4-fluoro-2-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (DFPHP) with a small difference of substituent groups were designed and synthesized. By the solution-exchange method, DFHP are self-assembled into amorphous microspheres while DFPHP tend to grow into crystalline rhombic microcrystals. The head of DFHP organic molecules can form hydrogen bonds with ethanol molecules and the tail of DFHP dissolves in the dichloromethane (DCM) phase, which exhibits amp...