Intra- and intermolecular self-assembly of a 20-nm-wide supramolecular hexagonal grid.

ABSTRACT: For the past three decades, the coordination-driven self-assembly of three-dimensional structures has undergone rapid progress; however, parallel efforts to create large discrete two-dimensional architectures-as opposed to polymers-have met with limited success. The synthesis of metallo-supramolecular systems with well-defined shapes and sizes in the range of 10-100 nm remains challenging. Here we report the construction of a series of giant supramolecular hexagonal grids, with diameters on the order of 20 nm and molecular weights greater than 65 kDa, through a combination of intra- and intermolecular metal-mediated self-assembly steps. The hexagonal intermediates and the resulting self-assembled grid architectures were imaged at submolecular resolution by scanning tunnelling microscopy. C

SUBMITTER: Zhang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7375338 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature