Photoinitiated Transient Self-Assembly in a Catalytically Driven Chemical Reaction Cycle.

Chemically fueled chemical reaction networks (CRNs) are essential in controlling dissipative self-assembly. A key challenge in the field is to store chemical fuel-precursors or "pre-fuels" in the system that are converted into activating or deactivating fuels in a catalytically controlled CRN. In addition, real-time control over catalysis in a CRN by light is highly desirable, but so far not yet achieved. Here we show a catalytically driven CRN that is photoinitiated with 450 nm light, producing activated monomers that go on to perform transient self-assembly. Monomer activation proceeds via photoredox catalysis, converting the monomer alcohol groups into the corresponding aldehydes that self-assemble into large supramolecular fibers. Monomer deactivation is achieved by organometallic catalysis that relies on pre-fuel hydrolysis to release formate (i.e. the deactivating fuel). Additionally, irradiation with 305 nm light accelerates the release of formate by photo-uncaging the pre-fuel, leading to a factor of ca. 2 faster deactivation of the monomer. Overall, we show transient self-assembly upon visible light photoactivation, and tunable life-times by ultraviolet light.

Efficient Photoredox Cycles to Control Perylenediimide Self-Assembly.

Photoreduction of perylenediimide (PDI) derivatives has been widely studied for use in photocatalysis, hydrogen evolution, photo-responsive gels, and organic semiconductors. Upon light irradiation, the radical anion (PDI⋅- ) can readily be obtained, whereas further reduction to the dianion (PDI2- ) is rare. Here we show that full 2-electron photoreduction can be achieved using UVC light: 1) in anaerobic conditions by 'direct photoreduction' of PDI aggregates, or 2) by 'indirect photoreduction' in aerobic conditions due to acetone ketyl radicals. The latter strategy is also efficient for other dyes, such as naphthalenediimide (NDI) and methylviologen (MV2+ ). Efficient photoreduction on the minute time-scale using simple LED light in aerobic conditions is attractive for use in dissipative light-driven systems and materials.

Biasing the Hierarchy Motifs of Nanotoroids: from 1D Nanotubes to 2D Porous Networks.

Hierarchical organization of self-assembled structures into superstructures is omnipresent in Nature but has been rarely achieved in synthetic molecular assembly due to the absence of clear structural rules. We herein report on the self-assembly of scissor-shaped azobenzene dyads which form discrete nanotoroids that further organize into 2D porous networks. The steric demand of the peripheral aliphatic units diminishes the trend of the azobenzene dyad to constitute stackable nanotoroids in solution, thus affording isolated (unstackable) nanotoroids upon cooling. Upon drying, these nanotoroids organize at graphite surface to form well-defined 2D porous networks. The photoirradiation with UV and visible light enabled reversible dissociation and reconstruction of nanotoroids through the efficient trans↔cis isomerization of azobenzene moieties in solution.

Hierarchy of Asymmetry in Chiral Supramolecular Polymers: Toward Functional, Helical Supramolecular Structures.

The formation of helical structures through the supramolecular polymerization of a variety of self-assembling units is reviewed. These scaffolds are usually obtained by efficient transfer or amplification of chirality phenomena, in which the starting self-assembling molecules possess different elements of asymmetry, such as point or axial chirality. Relevant examples of helical supramolecular structures investigated under thermodynamic control are reviewed, and the helical outcome of remarkable examples of chiral entities obtained through kinetic control are also highlighted. Finally, selected examples of flexible macroscopic chirality and catalysis are described to illustrate the applicability of helical aggregates.

Kinetic Traps to Activate Stereomutation in Supramolecular Polymers.

The helical stereomutation in the kinetically controlled coassembly of the reported carbonyl-bridged triarylamines (CBTs) is described. The copolymerization of chiral CBTs (S)-1 or (R)-1 with achiral 2 in sergeants-and-soldiers (SaS) experiments results in a tunable helicity conditioned by the percentage of the chiral sergeant and by the cooling rate. The dissimilar inherent chirality of the extended monomeric (M) and intramolecularly H-bonded metastable (M*) species, as well as the different stability of the kinetic trap of the chiral CBTs (S)-1/(R)-1 and the achiral CBT 2, condition the chirality transfer and afford J-aggregates of inverse handedness.

Tunable Energy Landscapes to Control Pathway Complexity in Self-Assembled N-Heterotriangulenes: Living and Seeded Supramolecular Polymerization.

Herein, the synthesis and self-assembling features of N-heterotriangulenes 1-3 decorated in their periphery with 3,4,5-trialkoxy-N-(alkoxy)benzamide moieties that enable kinetic control of the supramolecular polymerization process are described. The selection of an appropriate solvent results in a tunable energy landscape in which the relative energy of the different monomeric or aggregated species can be regulated. Thus, in a methylcyclohexane/toluene (MCH/Tol) mixture, intramolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions in the peripheral side units favor the formation of metastable inactivated monomers that evolve with time at precise conditions of concentration and temperature. A pathway complexity in the supramolecular polymerization of 1-3 cannot be determined in MCH/Tol mixtures but, importantly, this situation changes by using CCl4 . In this solvent, the off-pathway product is a face-to-face H-type aggregate and the on-pathway product is the slipped face-to-face J-type aggregate. The autocatalytic transformation of the metastable monomeric units, as well as the two competing off- and on-pathway aggregates allow the realization of seeded and living supramolecular polymerizations. Interestingly, the presence of chiral, branched side chains in chiral (S)-2 noticeably retards the kinetics of the investigated transformations. This work brings to light the relevance of controlling the pathway complexity in self-assembling units and opens new avenues for the investigation of complex and functional supramolecular structures.

Solvent-Directed Helical Stereomutation Discloses Pathway Complexity on N-Heterotriangulene-Based Organogelators.

The chiroptical features of supramolecular polymers formed from N-heterotriangulenes 1-3 have been investigated by circular dichroism (ECD) and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) techniques. In solution, the CD spectra demonstrate that the helicity of the aggregates depends on only the stereogenic centres located at the peripheral chains. In the gel state, the chiroptical features are conditioned by the point chirality of the stereogenic centres and by the achiral solvent utilised. Sonication of the gels formed in CCl4 reveals both kinetic and thermodynamic phases. These findings reveal the presence of pathway complexity in the gel state triggered by sonication. The described solvent-induced helical stereomutation demonstrates that the gel state can be utilised as an outstanding benchmark for investigating uncommon chiroptical effects and to explore the rules of chirality transmission.

Supramolecular Polymerization of [5]Helicenes. Consequences of Self-Assembly on Configurational Stability.

The supramolecular polymerization of [5]helicenes 1 and 2 is investigated. The self-assembly of these helicenes proceeds by the operation of H-bonding interactions with a negligible participation of π-stacking. The enantiopurity of the sample has a dramatic effect on the supramolecular polymerization mechanism since it reverts the isodesmic mechanism for the racemic mixture to a cooperative one for the enantioenriched sample. Noticeably, the formation of supramolecular polymers efficiently increases the configurational stability of 1,14-unsubstituted [5]helicenes.

Blue-emitting pyrene-based aggregates.

The supramolecular polymerization of pyrene imidazoles 1 and 2, governed by H-bonding and C-H···π interactions, yields aggregates showing the characteristic bluish emission pattern of pyrene-based monomers.