# 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.

## Key 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.

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1901.10712