Amphiphilic perylene-calix[4]arene hybrids: synthesis and tunable self-assembly.

The first highly water-soluble perylene-calix[4]arene hybrid with the calixarene scaffold acting as a structure-determining central platform is presented. In this tetrahedrally shaped amphiphilic architecture the hydrophilic and hydrophobic subunits are oriented at the opposite side of the calixarene platform. The hydrophobic part contains the two perylene diimide moieties, which enable strong π-π interactions in self-assembly processes. Two hydrophilic Newkome-type dendrons provide sufficient water solubility at slightly basic conditions. The tetrahedrally shaped amphiphile displays an unprecedented aggregation behavior down to concentrations as low as 10(-7) mol L(-1). The intriguing self-assembly process of the compound in water as well as under changed polarity conditions, achieved by addition of THF, could be monitored by the complemented use of cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), UV-vis spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Molecular-dynamics and molecular modeling simulations helped in understanding the interplay of supramolecular and optical behavior.

Naphthalenebisimides as photofunctional surfactants for SWCNTs - towards water-soluble electron donor-acceptor hybrids.

A water soluble naphthalenebisimide derivative (NBI) was synthesized and probed to individualize, suspend, and stabilize single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Besides a comprehensive photophysical and electrochemical characterization of NBI, stable suspensions of SWCNTs were realized in buffered D2O. Overall, the dispersion efficiency of the NBI surfactant was determined by comparison with naphthalene based references. Successful individualization of SWCNTs was corroborated in several microscopic assays. In addition, emission spectroscopy points to the strong quenching of SWCNT centered band gap emission, when NBIs are immobilized onto SWCNTs. The origin of the quenching was found to be strong electronic communication, which leads to charge separation between NBIs and photoexcited SWCNTs, and, which yields reduced NBIs as well oxidized SWCNTs. Notably, electrochemical considerations revealed that the energy content of these charge separated states is one of the highest reported for SWCNT based electron donor-acceptor hybrids so far.

Stereoselective self-sorting in the self-assembly of a Phe-Phe extended guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole carboxylate zwitterion: formation of two diastereomeric dimers with significantly different stabilities.

The 'dipeptide extended' guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole carboxylate zwitterion GCP-Phe-Phe 1 forms stable dimers in DMSO. However, dimerization is highly stereoselective. Only homochiral dimers are formed and the (L,L)·(L,L) dimer (K(dim) > 10(5) M(-1)) is significantly more stable by a factor of 10(3) than the diastereomeric (D,L)·(D,L) dimer (K(dim) = 120 M(-1)).