Chiral Phase Behavior of Self-Assembled Molecular Networks Formed by an Adaptable Isosceles Triangle Molecule at the Liquid/Solid Interface: Effect of Molecular Symmetry Reduction

The understanding of the chiral phase behavior of self-assembled molecular networks (SAMNs) at a liquid/solid interface is a subject of keen interest based on their potential applications in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Herein, we report the formation of five different SAMN structures of alkoxylated dehydrobenzo[15]annulene ([15]DBA) with an isosceles triangle-shaped core through coadsorption of the solvent or guest molecule. The diverse phase behavior of [15]DBA is attributed to the adaptability of alkoxy chain orientations given by the isosceles triangular pi-core and the tunable degree of the lateral shift of the chiral dimeric molecular pair. The SAMNs formed by regular and isosceles triangle molecules were compared to study the influence of the core shape on the phase behavior of the SAMNs. A small structural change of the triangular molecular building blocks is critical for the tailored design of structures and supramolecular chirality of their SAMNs on a C-3 symmetric substrate.