Probing self-assembled 1,3,5-benzenetrisamides in isotactic polypropylene by 13C DQ solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Using (13)C double quantum solid-state NMR spectroscopy, we were able to observe nuclei of a supramolecular BTA based additive on the nanoscale in a matrix of i-PP at a concentration of only 0.09 wt%. These nuclei exhibit the analogous structural features as the crystalline phase of the neat additive.

Theoretical investigation of macrodipoles in supramolecular columnar stackings.

Supramolecular columnar assemblies are known to form intrinsic macrodipoles, which play an important role in intercolumnar interactions and govern the self-assembly on the mesoscale. A prominent class that provides this feature are trisamide derivatives, namely, 1,3,5-benzenetrisamides and 1,3,5-cyclohexanetrisamides. The understanding of how subtle changes in the chemical structure influence the columnar order and consequently the macrodipole formation is of fundamental interest. Here we report on the theoretical investigation of trisamide derivatives and how the formed macrodipole is related to the properties of the columnar aggregates. Calculations were carried out on a semiempirical level using the PM6 approximation, which is able to treat weak interactions like hydrogen bonding and dispersion forces with a sufficient accuracy. We have compared the influence of a benzene core with a cyclohexane core on the macrodipole formation. It was revealed that columnar aggregates based on 1,3,5-cyclohexanetrisamides have much higher dipole moments than those formed with aromatic cores. A cooperative effect was found during aggregation, as longer aggregates show stronger hydrogen bonding, thereby facilitating the addition of the next molecule. We have also investigated the influence of the amide connection on the strength of the formed macrodipole. The trends observed for the macrodipole strength correlate with the calculated heat of formation. If the amide groups are inverted, the strength of the macrodipole is reduced and the negative heat of formation is increased. HOMO-LUMO gaps were correlated with the inverse of the dipole moment per monomer unit, thus indicating that the macrodipole might act as a perturbation to the supramolecular assemblies.

Phase behavior and mesophase structures of 1,3,5-benzene- and 1,3,5-cyclohexanetricarboxamides: towards an understanding of the losing order at the transition into the isotropic phase.

One of the simplest and most-versatile motifs in supramolecular chemistry is based on 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxamides. Variation of the core structure and subtle changes in the structures of the lateral substituents govern the self-assembly and determine the phase behavior. Herein, we provide a comprehensive comparison between the phase behavior and mesophase structure of a series of 1,3,5-benzene- and 1,3,5-cyclohexanetricarboxamides that contain linear and branched alkyl substituents. Depending on the substituent, different crystalline, plastic crystalline, and liquid crystalline phases were formed. The relatively rare columnar nematic (N(C)) phase was only observed in cyclohexane-based trisamides that contained linear alkyl substituents. Of fundamental interest in liquid crystalline supramolecular systems is the transition from the mesomorphic state into the isotropic state and, in particular, the question of how the order decreases. Temperature-dependent IR spectroscopy and XRD measurements revealed that columnar H-bonded aggregates were still present in the isotropic phase. At the clearing transition, mainly the lateral order was lost, whilst shorter columnar aggregates still remained. A thorough understanding of the phase behavior and the mesophase structure is relevant for selecting processing conditions that use supramolecular structures in devices or as fibrillar nanomaterials.