Self-Assembly of Fullerene-Based Janus Particles in Solution: Effects of Molecular Architecture and Solvent

摘要

Two molecular Janus particles based on amphiphilic [60]fullerene (C_(60)) derivatives were designed and synthesized by using the regioselective Bingel–Hirsh reaction and the click reaction. These particles contain carboxylic acid functional groups, a hydrophilic fullerene (AC_(60)), and a hydrophobic C_(60) in different ratios and have distinct molecular architectures: 1:1 (AC_(60)–C_(60)) and 1:2 (AC_(60)–2C_(60)). These molecular Janus particles can self-assemble in solution to form aggregates with various types of micellar morphology. Whereas vesicular morphology was observed for both AC_(60)–C_(60) and AC_(60)–2C_(60) in tetrahydrofuran, in a mixture of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)/water, spherical micelles and cylindrical micelles were observed for AC_(60)–C_(60) and AC_(60)–2C_(60), respectively. A mechanism of formation was tentatively proposed based on the effects of molecular architecture and solvent polarity on self-assembly.