Self-assembly Of Molecules Research Articles

Effect of Phytic Acid Addition on the Structure of Collagen-Hyaluronic Acid Composite Gel.

Composite collagen gels with hyaluronic acid are developed tissue-engineered structures for filling and regeneration of defects in various organs and tissues. For the first time, phytic acid was used to increase the stability and improve the mechanical properties of collagen gels with hyaluronic acid. Phytic acid is a promising cross-linker for collagen hydrogels and is a plant-derived antioxidant found in rich sources of beans, grains, and oilseeds. Phytic acid has several benefits due to its antioxidant, anticancer, and antitumor properties. In this work, studies were carried out on the kinetics of the self-assembly of collagen molecules in the presence of phytic and hyaluronic acids. It was shown that both of these acids do not lead to collagen self-assembly. Scanning electron microscopy showed that in the presence of phytic and hyaluronic acids, the collagen fibrils had a native structure, and the FTIR method confirmed the chemical cross-links between the collagen fibrils. DSC and rheological studies demonstrated that adding the phytic acid improved the stability and modulus of elasticity of the collagen gel. The presence of hyaluronic acid in the collagen gel slightly reduced the effect of phytic acid. The presence of phytic acid in the collagen gel improved the stability of the scaffold, but, after 1 week of cultivation, slightly reduced the viability of mesenchymal stromal cells cultured in the gel. The collagen type I gel with hyaluronic and phytic acids can be used to replace tissue defects, especially after the removal of cancerous tumors.

Solid-Phase Electrosynthesis.

ConspectusThe significance of the new synthetic approach is that it can overcome the limitations of conventional methods and produce previously inaccessible polymer structures and materials. The solid-phase synthesis developed by Merrifield in 1964 is widely employed for the synthesis of biological molecules, such as peptides, nucleic acids, and oligosaccharides. Although the variety of iterative reactions available is theoretically implemented for most organic synthesis protocols, they are usually required to have high efficiency against sluggish reaction kinetics at the solid-liquid interface and process with protection and deprotection steps. Generally, unsatisfied reaction dynamics at the solid-liquid interface cannot statistically permit accurate and uniform polymer synthesis of sophisticated structures and functions within an acceptable time scale. To address this challenge, we propose the concept of solid-phase electrosynthesis, which simultaneously enables rapidly surface-initiated uniform electrosynthesis and unidirectional assembly of metallopolymers via kinetically accelerated and statistically allowed iterative growth. In particular, on a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of the metal complex with electroactive unit A, the iterative monomer with two electroactive units A and B can be alternatively activated by oxidative and reductive potentials for A-A and B-B covalent couplings with the SAM, respectively. This enables topochemical one-by-one additions of the iterative monomers to end-on-oriented self-assembled molecules through alternative redox reactions. Each iterative step is purified by washing. Repeating the same iterative reaction enables further reaction of the unreactive sites on the SAMs and repairs the morphology defects, thereby ensuring the statistically allowed uniform synthesis and fabrication of polymer monolayers. The resulting monolayers exhibit subnanometer-uniform morphology over centimeter-sized areas with crystalline states and show thicknesses similar to theoretical molecular lengths. This demonstrates the unidirectional formation of polymer assemblies, providing a pathway for obtaining highly ordered formation of noncrystalline polymers. The length-controlled electrosynthesis of metallopolymers can be generalized for many types of organic ligands and metal species, enabling quantitative design of the composition and sequence-controlled metallopolymers with the precise relationships of structures and properties. Solid-phase electrosynthesis offers a unique approach to synthesize polymer structures and monolayers with enhanced functionality and superior physical properties, including physical density, modulus, and conductance. Through the utilization of precise and efficient iterative growth, this predictable electrosynthesis, coupled with optical and electrical monitoring, not only expands the scope of current synthetic chemistry but also paves a potential way for the automated generation of optoelectric molecular monolayers with large-area dimensional consistency and enhanced physical performance.

Monodentate versus Bidentate Anchoring Groups in Self-Assembling Molecules (SAMs) for Robust p-i-n Perovskite Solar Cells.

Current improvement in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has been achieved by interface engineering and fine-tuning of charge-selective contacts. In this work, we report three novel molecules that can form self-assembled layers (SAMs) as an alternative to the most commonly used p-type contact material, PTAA. Two of these molecules have bidentate anchoring groups (MC-54 and MC-55), while the last one is monodentate (MC-45). Besides the PTAA comparison, we also compared those two types of molecules and their effect on the solar cell's performance. Devices fabricated with MC-54 and MC-55 showed a remarkable field factor (about 80%) and a better current density, leading to higher efficient solar cells in comparison to MC-45 and PTAA. Moreover, mono- and bidentate present higher stability and reproducibility in comparison to PTAA.

The effect of polymerizable monomers on the thickness and the growth rate of self-assembled smectic fibers

Abstract Liquid crystal (LC) fibers formed by the self-assembly of LC molecules are promising for optical devices. However, the LC fibers reported previously were metastable and not reliable. In this study, we fabricated LC fibers using polymerizable monomers (PM). The growth rate decreased and the thickness increased compared to those of pure LC fibers. Our results will be useful for photopolymerization and will provide information for the application of the LC fibers.

D-orbital electronic configuration-dependent photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity of noble metal-free terpyridine-based supramolecular assemblies

Coordination non-noble metal ions in terpyridine-based supramolecular photocatalysts can promote the charge directional transfer towards metals and reduce the enriched CO2. Whether all non-noble metal can play this role and how the electronic structure of metal regulates the activity? Here, a series of photocatalysts were constructed by self-assembly of terpyridine-based molecules and non-noble metals (Zn2+, Co2+, Ni2+ and Cd2+) through coordination interactions and π-π stacking interactions. Study results showed that unpaired d electrons in Co2+ and Ni2+ induce photogenerated electrons deactivation which cannot be used for CO2 reduction through ligand to metal charge transfer (LMCT) process, reflected in low CO evolution rates of 4.07 and 4.30 μmol g−1 h−1. However, Zn2+ and Cd2+ with filled d10 configurations do not participate in LMCT and activities improve to 46.54 and 38.51 μmol g−1 h−1. This work offers guidance for designing an efficient photocatalyst by tuning the central metals.

The Synergistic Effect of Phosphonic and Carboxyl Acid Groups for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

Reducing the interfacial defects between the perovskite/electron transport layer (ETL) is the key point to improving the efficient and stable performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this study, two self-assembled molecules ((aminomethyl)phosphonic acid and glycine) with different functional groups (phosphonic acid (-H2PO3) and carboxylic acid (-COOH)) were mixed to form the buried bottom interface of PSCs. The synergistic effect of -H2PO3 with its higher anchoring ability and -COOH with its fast carrier transport improved the performance of PSCs. Additionally, the SnO2 modified by mixed self-assembly molecules (M-SAM) showed a more appropriate energy level alignment, favoring charge transport and minimizing energy loss. In addition, the amine group (-NH2) on the two small molecules effectively interacted with uncoordinated Pb2+ in perovskite and improved the quality of the perovskite films. Consequently, the (FAPbI3)0.992(MAPbBr3)0.008 PSCs with M-SAM reached a PCE of 24.69% (0.08 cm2) and the perovskite modules achieved a champion efficiency of 18.57% (12.25 cm2 aperture area). Meanwhile, it still maintained more than 91% of its initial PCE after being placed in nitrogen atmosphere at 25 °C for 1500 h, which is better than that of the single-SAM and control devices. Further reference is provided for the future commercialization of perovskite with efficient and stable characteristics.

Prediction of the Structural Color of Liquid Crystals via Machine Learning

Materials that generate structural color may be promising alternatives to dyes and pigments due to their relative long-term stability and environmentally benign properties. Liquid crystal (LC) mixtures of cholesteryl esters demonstrate structural color due to light reflected from the helical structure of the self-assembled molecules. The apparent color depends on the pitch length of the liquid crystal. While a wide range of colors have been achieved with such LC formulations, the nature of the pitch–concentration relationship has been difficult to define. In this work, various machine learning approaches to predict the reflected wavelength, i.e., the position of the selective reflection band, based on LC composition are compared to a Scheffe cubic model. The neural network regression model had a higher root mean squared error (RMSE) than the Scheffe cubic model with improved predictions for formulations not included in the dataset. Decision tree regression provided the best overall performance with the lowest RMSE and predicted position of the selective reflection band within 0.8% of the measured values for LC formulations not included in the dataset. The predicted values using the decision tree were over two-fold more accurate than the Scheffe cubic model. These results demonstrate the utility of machine learning models for predicting physical properties of LC formulations.

Preparation of Ag@lignin nanotubes for the development of antimicrobial biodegradable films from corn straw

Current environmental and energy issues have attracted considerable attention from industries, governments, and academia. Developing alternative diverse petrochemical-based plastics with biodegradable packaging materials from renewable resources is critical for ensuring both sustainability and safety. In this study, biodegradable films are fabricated from corn straw via a facile sol-gel process. Furthermore, these films are imbued with antimicrobial properties by coupling with silver@lignin nanotube hybrid antibacterial agents, formed via the in situ reduction of silver ions into elemental silver by lignin (mild reducing agent), followed by the self-assembly of lignin molecules into nanotubes assisted by an aqueous silver nitrate electrolyte solution. The developed antibacterial corn straw film exhibits strong mechanical and antibacterial properties, with a tensile strength and elongation at break of 68.7 MPa and 11.3 %, respectively, under optimum conditions and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus of 99.9 % and 97.2 %, respectively. The as-prepared corn straw films exhibit high hydrophobicity and ultraviolet resistance. The morphology, structure, and thermal properties of the corn straw films were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. This study provides a straw-based biodegradable packaging film with antimicrobial properties.

Design of liquid crystal-aqueous interface for detection of calcium ions using protein as recognition probe

ABSTRACT The advancement of liquid crystal (LC)-based biosensing platform for understanding the interactions of adsorbed proteins with lipid-designed LC-aqueous interface has significant scientific interest due to its point-of-care diagnostic applications and fundamental biological research. The ordering transition of LCs at 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) decorated LC-aqueous interface was examined to observe the biosensing of a physiologically important Ca2+ signalling protein recombinant human calmodulin (CaM). Self-assembled POPC molecules promote homeotropic anchoring of LC at the LC-aqueous interface with dark optical appearance under crossed polarizers. Interestingly, the optical state of LC changed to planar (bright optical appearance) when CaM was in the proximity of lipid adsorbed LC-aqueous interface, indicating label-free detection of CaM at those interfaces. It was further observed that the POPC decorated LC-aqueous interface is specific for the detection of CaM protein among other amphiphiles (LPA, DLPC, CTAB and SDS) decorated LC-aqueous interfaces tested. The sensitivity of the POPC decorated LC-aqueous interface towards the detection of CaM was observed in the nanomolar regime (~150 nM). CaM is a Ca2+ binding protein; hence, the CaM-POPC decorated LC-aqueous interface was further utilized for the detection of Ca2+. Interaction of CaM with Ca2+ increases the α-helical content of CaM, which results in the reorganization of POPC molecules at the LC-aqueous interface and leads to the homeotropic orientation of LC with a dark appearance under crossed polarizer. Compared to other spectroscopic/biological techniques, the LC-based system is easy to handle due to its simple label-free optical data, high sensitivity, cost-effectivity and low sample requirement.

Microscopic mechanisms and chloride resistance performance of silane coupling agent self-assembly on reinforced concrete utilizing X-ray CT technology: A comprehensive investigation

To enhance corrosion resistance in reinforced concrete exposed to chloride environments, a γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550) solution was used to treat the steel bar surface. This study investigated the corrosion resistance and microscopic mechanism of self-assembled silane film-modified steel bars. Surface morphology, elemental composition, and functional group changes were analyzed using SEM, EDS, and FTIR before and after solution treatment to determine the optimal treatment concentration. X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) was employed to analyze rust evolution and fracture characteristics in steel bars treated with silane coupling agent self-assembly technology. Results revealed that the self-assembly of molecules significantly enhanced corrosion resistance when using a water to ethanol to KH550 solution volume ratio of 50:3:10. The corrosion resistance mechanism of silane self-assembled steel bars against chloride salt corrosion was verified through X-ray CT technology, quantifying the volume expansion rate of rust products.

Solitary waves in ultrafast fiber lasers: From solitons to dissipative solitons

The development of the connections between ultrafast laser dynamics and solitary waves concepts is presented, with an attempt to emphasize on important research milestones and conceptual advances. At various stages, the concepts of conventional and dissipative solitons are found to echo, oppose, or complement each other. The pivotal role of fiber lasers is highlighted, which multiplied the investigation of ultrafast laser dynamics since the 90s, and lead to the widespread usage of dissipative soliton concepts that were instrumental in understanding original dynamical regimes and related optical waveforms, such as the generation of bright solitons in the normal dispersion regime and the self-assembly of optical soliton molecules within laser cavities.

Stripe-Like hBN Monolayer Template for Self-Assembly and Alignment of Pentacene Molecules.

Metallic surfaces with unidirectional anisotropy are often used to guide the self-assembly of organic molecules along a particular direction. Such supports thus offer an avenue for the fabrication of hybrid organic-metal interfaces with tailored morphology and precise elemental composition. Nonetheless, such control often comes at the expense of detrimental interfacial interactions that might quench the pristine properties of molecules. Here, hexagonal boron nitride grown on Ir(100) is introduced as a robust platform with several coexisting 1D stripe-like moiré superstructures that effectively guide unidirectional self-assemblies of pentacene molecules, concomitantly preserving their pristine electronic properties. In particular, highly-aligned longitudinal arrays of equally-oriented molecules are formed along two perpendicular directions, as demonstrated by comprehensive scanning tunneling microscopy and photoemission characterization performed at the local and non-local scale, respectively. The functionality of the template is demonstrated by photoemission tomography, a surface-averaging technique requiring a high degree of orientational order of the probed molecules. The successful identification of pentacene's pristine frontier orbitals underlines that the template induces excellent long-range molecular ordering via weak interactions, preventing charge transfer.

High-performance all-inorganic perovskite light-emitting diodes enabled by a self-assembled molecule additive via defect passivation and strain relaxation

All-inorganic perovskite light-emitting diodes (AIPeLEDs) have been demonstrated with superior thermal stability than organic analogues, but the high defect density and lattice strain of all-inorganic perovskites commonly result in compromised efficiency and stability of the devices. Herein, a self-assembled molecule, 4-bromobenzoic acid (BBA), is adopted as an additive to modify CsPbBr3-based green AIPeLEDs. In particular, the formic acid group (-COOH) of BBA can interact with the uncoordinated Pb dangling bonds, leading to reduced defects and released lattice strain of perovskites, thereby facilitating the formation of all-inorganic perovskite films with a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 54.5 %. As a result, AIPeLEDs with a high maximum current efficiency of 42.4 cd A−1, and an external quantum efficiency of 11.4 % are obtained. Moreover, promoted by the inhibited non-radiative recombination and released lattice stress, the T50 lifetime (at an initial brightness of 200 cd m−2) is also improved from 2 h for the control PeLEDs to 8 h for the BBA-treated PeLEDs, which further confirms the superiority of BBA in passivating the AIPeLEDs.

Self-assembly and interaction mechanisms of edible dock protein and flavonoids regulated by the phenolic hydroxyl position.

In this study, chrysin (Chr), baicalein (Bai), apigenin (Api) and galangin (Gal) were selected as the representative flavonoids with different position of phenolic hydroxyl groups, and edible dock protein (EDP) was used as a material to construct delivery system. Subsequently, the molecular interactions and functional properties of flavonoids-loaded EDP nanomicelles were investigated. Results exhibited that hydrogen bond, hydrophobic interaction and van der Waals force were the main driving forces for self-assembly of flavonoids and EDP molecules. Meanwhile, this self-assembly remarkably enhance the storage and digestion stability of flavonoid compounds. Among four flavonoids, the order of loading ability was: Api>Gal>Bai>Chr. Herein, Api had a largest loading capacity (6.74%) because of its active phenolic hydroxyl group in ring B. These results suggested that the position of phenolic hydroxyl groups in flavonoids is a key factor to regulate its self-assembly with protein molecules.

Degradable carrier-free spray hydrogel based on self-assembly of natural small molecule for prevention of postoperative adhesion.

Postoperative peritoneal adhesion (PPA) is frequent and extremely dangerous complication after surgery. Different tactics have been developed to reduce it. However, creating a postoperative adhesion method that is multifunctional, biodegradable, biocompatible, low-toxic but highly effective, and therapeutically applicable is still a challenge. Herein, we have prepared a degradable spray glycyrrhetinic acid hydrogel (GAG) based on natural glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) by straightforward heating and cooling without the use of any additional chemical cross-linking agents to prevent postoperative adhesion. The resultant hydrogel was demonstrated to possess various superior anti-inflammatory activity, and multiple functions, such as excellent degradability and biocompatibility. Specifically, spraying characteristic and excellent antibacterial activities essentially eliminated secondary infections during the administration of drugs in surgical wounds. In the rat models, the carrier-free spray GAG could not only slow-release GA to inhibit inflammatory response, but also serve as physical anti-adhesion barrier to reduce collagen deposition and fibrosis. The sprayed GAG would shed a new light on the prevention of postoperative adhesion and broaden the application of the hydrogels based on natural products in biomedical fields.

Fabrication of g-C3N4@porphyrin nanorods hybrid material via CTAB surfactant-assisted self-assembly for photocatalytic degradation of Cr(VI) and methylene blue

Photocatalysts are an attractive solution for pollutant degradation under sunlight irradiation. One approach that has been proposed to enhance their activity is to combine two semiconductors, which can broaden the photon energy harvesting regions and improve charge separation. Herein, a facile approach to fabricating a g-C3N4@porphyrin nanorods hybrid material is presented using CTAB surfactant-assisted self-assembly of monomeric porphyrin molecules and g-C3N4 nanomaterials. Using different technical methods, the hybrid material was studied, and it was found that the porphyrin nanorods on the surface of g-C3N4 were all in the same place. The photocatalytic performance of the hybrid material was evaluated by investigating its behavior for the photo-oxidation and -degradation of Cr+6 ions and methylene blue organic dye under simulated sunlight irradiation. High photocatalytic performance towards these two pollutants was exhibited by the hybrid material with a removal percentage of nearly 100% after 100 min of reaction time under the simulated sunlight spectrum. Also, a possible photocatalytic mechanism of the C3N4@porphyrin nanorods photocatalyst was proposed. This mechanism involved the efficient separation and transfer of photo-induced electrons and holes on the surface of the hybrid material. This work offers a simple and efficient method for creating high-performance photocatalysts, and we have made progress in our understanding of their photocatalytic mechanisms. The findings have important implications for wastewater treatment and solar energy conversion. The use of this hybrid material may contribute to addressing environmental challenges and assist in building sustainable energy systems.

Core-level spectroscopic probing of the heteromolecular H-bonding interaction in Cyanuric Acid/Melamine 2D networks

The preparation of complex molecular architectures routinely exploits the directionality and cooperative strength of hydrogen bonding interactions, which can be used for a reversible control of molecular self-assembly of simple organic molecules. Cyanuric acid (CA) and Melamine (M) are two such examples of simple organic molecules which can assemble in well-ordered two-dimensional networks on solid surfaces. Their CA*M adduct is a prototypical molecular system exhibiting two complementary NH••O and NH••N hydrogen bonds. In this work we exploit the initial state locality of K-shell core-electron excitation/ionization process to get a detailed information on the electronic structure modification which characterizes the long-range order of the heteromolecular H-bonding motif of the CA*M adduct as compared to the homomolecular CA and M extended structures. Both of N 1s X-Ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and N K-shell Near Edge X-Ray Absorption Fine-Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and are used to get complementary information on the prototypical CA*M heteromolecular system characterizing both the H-donor/H-acceptor nature of the molecular constituents and the extent of heteromolecular H-bond formation, due to the quenching of σ*(N–H) resonances.

Self-Assembly via Condensation of Imine or Its N-Substituted Derivatives.

ConspectusCompared to traditionally used irreversible chemical reactions, dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) including imine formation represents a more advanced technique in the preparation of molecules with complex structures and topologies, whose syntheses require the formation of many bonds. By allowing the occurrence of error checking and self-correcting, it is likely that the target molecules with high enough thermodynamic stability could be self-assembled in high or even quantitative yield. Two questions are raised herein. First, it becomes a central problem in self-assembly that how to endow a target product with high enough thermodynamic stability so that it can be produced as the major or the only product within the self-assembly library. Second, the reversible nature of dynamic bonds jeopardizes the intrinsic stability of the products. More specifically, the imine bond which represents the mostly used dynamic covalent bond, is apt to undergo hydrolysis in the presence of water. Developing new approaches to make imine more robust and compatible with water is thus of importance. In this account, we summarized the progress made in our group in the field of self-assembly based on C═N bond formation. In organic solvent where an imine bond is relatively robust, we focus on studying how to enhance the thermodynamic stability of a target molecule by introducing intramolecular forces. These noncovalent interactions either release enthalpy to favor the formation of the target molecule or preorganize the building blocks into specific conformations that mimic the product, so that the entropy loss of the formation of the latter is thus suppressed. In water, which often leads to imine hydrolysis, we developed two strategies to enhance the water-compatibility. By taking advantage of multivalency, namely, multiple bonds are often more robust than a single bond, self-assembly via condensation of imine was performed successfully in water, a solvent that is considered as forbidden zone of imine. Another approach is to replace typical imine with its more robust and water compatible derivatives, namely, either hydrazone or oxime, whose C═N bonds are generally less electrophilic compared to typical imine. With the water-compatible dynamic bonds in hand, a variety topological nontrivial molecules such as catenanes and knots was self-assembled successfully in aqueous media, driven by hydrophobic effect. When the self-assembled molecules in the form of rings and cages were designed for supramolecular purposes, water-compatibility endows a merit that allows the hosts to take advantage of hydrophobic effect to drive host-guest recognition, enabling various tasks to be accomplished, such as separation of guest isomers with similar physical properties, recognition of highly hydrated anions, as well as stabilization of guest dimers.

Aquasomal drug delivery system: A special emphasis on the formulation techniques and applications

Introduction: Aquasome is a self-assembled nanoparticulate carrier system with three layers. The system is made up of a polyhydroxy oligomer-coated inner nanocrystalline solid core. Adsorbed on the coated layer are drug molecules or biochemically active compounds. Self-assembly in this sense refers to the independent formation of molecules into organised, long-lasting, and non-covalently bonded patterns.This paper gives an overview of aquasome formation, covering structural properties, formulation methodologies, and the benefits and drawbacks of this novel drug delivery technology. The article primarily addresses the formulation processes used to create self-assembled nanostructures and their various possible applications. Method: Several online databases, including Science Direct, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus, were used in the literature search. The datasets were searched for entries of studies up to July, 2023. The review paper especially addresses many elements of aquasome formation by various researchers employing methods/modified techniques such as co-precipitation, self-precipitation, sputtering, and and so forth. It also illustrates a variety of fields of therapy in which aquasome has been recognised to have a major influence, such as oxygen and extract carrier. Results: The solid core is responsible for providing structural stability, while the oligomeric coating is crucial for safeguarding against dehydration and stabilising the bioactive molecules. This biodegradable drug delivery vehicle at the nanoscale level exhibits a tendency to accumulate in the liver and muscles. The non-modification of drug adsorption onto the aquasome surface facilitates prompt pharmacological response by allowing unobstructed receptor recognition at the action site. Conclusions: Aquasome, a three-layered self-assembled molecule, is a simple yet new drug delivery system with promising carrier potentials to increase the solubility and bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. Despite a host of challenges, such as time consumption, sophisticated processes, safety, and expensive research costs, aquasome may emerge as an alternative vesicular carrier in the future.

Realization of a highly-performing triboelectric nanogenerator utilizing molecular self-assembly

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is promising as a sustainable power source for energy-autonomous electronics. This work demonstrates for the first time that a highly-performing TENG can be realized by utilizing molecular self-assembly of small molecules. It is found that molecular self-assembly modifies the orbital energy levels of the corresponding tribo-layer that causes reduced energy gap between the tribo-layers for charge transfer. It is also found that an expansion of the electron-rich regions occurs due to molecular self-assembly that in turn increases the probability of the electron cloud/potential well overlap. Both the phenomena result in significantly-enhanced charge transfer between the tribo-positive and tribo-negative layers of a TENG during contact electrification. A low-cost, simple, and straightforward technique that does not require sophisticated equipment is adopted for the molecular self-assembly of a naturally abundant small molecule. Spectroscopic analysis, atomic force microscopy, and electron microscopy reveal that the modified molecules are capable of building high order self-assembled structure. A TENG with a self-assembled layer (SAL-TENG) generated voltage and power density of ∼1340 V and ∼11.75 W m−2, respectively, as compared with, ∼200 V and ∼3.5 W m−2 respectively, for another TENG comprising the same molecules but are not self-assembled (NSA-TENG).