Nanofibril self-assembly of an arylene ethynylene macrocycle

Nanofibril structures have been fabricated from an arylene ethynylene macrocycle (AEM), which consists of a square frame corner-joined by four carbazole moieties. The fabrication was performed through a gelating process by cooling a warm, homogeneous solution in cyclohexane at high temperature (e.g., 100 °C) to room temperature. During the gelation, the molecules become organized, with optimal π-π stacking in cooperation with the side-chain association. The favorable π-π stacking facilitates the 1D growth of molecular assembly.