Organic nanotubes created from mesogenic derivatives

TL;DR

This paper presents a simple method to create organic nanotubes from rod-like mesogenic molecules using solution evaporation, with detailed characterization and a proposed nucleation mechanism.

Contribution

It introduces a straightforward approach to synthesize organic nanotubes from mesogenic derivatives and investigates their formation mechanism.

Findings

Nanotubes formed from chiral and racemic mesogens via slow evaporation.

Characterization confirmed the nanotube morphology and structure.

Surface tension differences may drive nanotube nucleation.

Abstract

A facile route to prepare the nanotubes from rod-like mesogens dissolved in typical organic solvents is reported. For selected types of chiral rod-like molecules, both enantiomers as well as the racemic mixtures formed the nanotubes by slow evaporation from a solution, regardless of the solvent, concentration or deposition type. Obtained supramolecular assemblies were studied using AFM and SEM techniques. Additional methods (IR, UV-Vis spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction) were applied to characterize the observed nanotubes. The difference in the surface tension at opposite crystallite surfaces is suggested as a possible mechanism for the nanotube nucleation.