Self-Assembled Nano-Structures of Sandwich-Type Mixed (Phthalocyaninato)(porphyrinato) Rear Earth Complexes. Effect of Porphyrin-Phthalocyanine Ligands on Tuning the Inter-Molecular Interaction

Abstract

phthalocyanine, porphyrin, sandwich rare earth complex, nanostructure, self-assembly. Abstract. Three novel sandwich-type mixed (phthalocyaninato)(porphyrinato) rear earth complexes, namely Ce(DPP)(Pc)(1), Sm2(DPP)(Pc)2(2) and Sm2(DPP)2(Pc)(3) [Pc = dianion of phthalocyanine, DPP= dianion of 5,15-di(phenyl)porphyrin], have been fabricated into nano-assemblies onto the SiO2 surface by a surface assisted solvent-vapor annealing method. The effect of the number of porphyrin and phthalocyanine ligands on the morphology of self-assembled nanostructures of these double- and triple-decker complexes has been systematically studied. Competition and cooperation between the inter-molecular - interaction, van der Waals, and metal-ligand coordination for different compounds results in nanostructures with different morphology from approximately spherical shape with average size of ~300 nm and ~400 nm for 1 and 2, respectively, nano-rods with aspect ratio (length over width) around 5 for 3, which were characterized by electronic absorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Electronic absorption spectroscopic results reveal the formation of J-aggregates in the nano-structures and suggest the increasing - interaction in the order of 3, 1, to 2. Examination by XRD reveal that in the nanostructures of compounds 1-3, a dimeric supramolecular structure was formed through an intermolecular - interaction and/or van der Waals between two sandwich-type molecules, which as the building block self-assembles into the target nanostructures.