Aug 2026· ACS Materials Letters· 0 citations· 46 references
Abstract
Directing the self-assembly of small organic molecules into anisotropic nanoparticles without relying on metal coordination remains a fundamental challenge. Here, we show that controlled evaporation of aqueous solutions of a small-molecule amphiphile composed of a π-conjugated aromatic core functionalized with oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) side chains drives the formation of nanocubes (∼300 nm edge length). Spectroscopic and microscopic characterizations suggest that these nanocubes are crystalline assemblies comprising π-stacked aromatic domains interspersed with OEG-rich regions and exhibit compliant mechanical properties comparable to those of soft polymers and biological tissues, with Young’s moduli in the range of 1.6–7.0 MPa. This work establishes structural and experimental factors responsible for the emergence of the metal-free formation of soft, shape-defined nanostructures from small-molecule amphiphiles.
Wormlike micelles are elongated, flexible supramolecular assemblies whose dynamic structure and anisotropic morphology have attracted considerable interest as functional soft materials. The self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules into anisotropic supramolecular nanostructures is governed by a delicate balance between hy...
Emina Debogović, Gaël De Leener, M. Stuart et al.· Langmuir· 0 citations
The construction of helical architectures from achiral building blocks remains a fundamental challenge in supramolecular and materials chemistry. We report the first triple-helical cluster-assembled material constructed entirely from achiral components via covalent coordination. Thiol-protected Ag12 nanoclusters are...
The programmed construction of nanotubular architectures through self-assembly remains a major challenge in supramolecular chemistry, especially when targeting pores with dimensions within the molecular scale (1–5 nm) in aqueous media. This work introduces a strategy that integrates covalent design with ionic hydrogen...
Jacobo Veiga-Herrero, Isabel López-Martín, Eduardo Anaya-Plaza et al.· Chemical Science· 0 citations
We report the assembly of binary nanoparticle superlattices (BNSLs) composed of amphiphilic block copolymers and colloidal silica, driven by a balance between complementary associative and self-repulsive interactions. In aqueous media, spherical polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PS-b-PEG) micelles co-assemble...
Seyoung Kim, K. Char· Journal of Physical Chemistr...· 0 citations
Molecular weaving has attracted much interest in recent years. Supramolecular organic weaves offer many benefits, such as error correction, but their functionalization is challenging, as even minor modifications to the building blocks can disrupt self-assembly. In this study, we demonstrate that a triaxially woven supr...
Andreas Herdlitschka, Tatiana Da Silva Ferreira, Joseph F. Woods et al.· Angewandte Chemie· 0 citations
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