Supramolecular Rhombic Grids Formed from Bimolecular Building Blocks

摘要

Crystal engineering is blossoming as a powerful strategy for the construction of functional materials for use in application areas as diverse as nonlinear optics, drug delivery, and energy storage. To achieve proper function of the crystalline material, it is necessary to precisely position the component molecules within the crystal lattice by means of appropriate noncovalent interactions between molecules. Among the common noncovalent interactions, hydrogen bonds and coordination interactions have been extensively employed because of their strength and high directionality. In contrast, the use of weaker and less highly directional forces, especially π-π interactions, have remained challenging to employ in a predictable manner. In this paper, we demonstrate that increasing the π surface area of suitable building blocks results in a concomitant increase in the free energy of the resulting π-π interactions to a point where such building blocks can be used in programmed assembly processes to build up supramolecular rhombic grids.