Molecular Recognition Directed Self-Assembly of Supramolecular Architectures

摘要

This paper reviews some of our research on three classes of supramoleculararchitectures which are generated via various combinations of molecular, macromolecular and supramolecular chemistry. The ability of these supramolecular architectures to form liquid crystalline phases is determined by the shape of the self-assembled architecture and will be used to visualize it via various characterization techniques. The molecular design of selected examples of structural units containing taper shaped exo-receptors and crown-ether, oligooxyethylenic, and H-bonding based endo-receptors which self-assemble into cylindrical channel-like architectures via principles resembling those of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), of macrocyclics which self-assemble into a willow-like architecture will be discussed. In the case of TMV-like supramolecular architectures a comparison between various supramolecular (generated via H-bonding, ionic and electrostatic interactions) and molecular 'polymer backbones' will be made. The present state of the art of the engineering of these supramolecular architectures and some possible novel material functions derived from them will be briefly mentioned.