Luminescent one-dimensional nanostructures of perylene bisimides

Perylene bisimides form a unique class of organic semiconductors, in this investigation two symmetrical perylene bisimides caped with 1-butyl (B-PTCDI) and 4,4'-diethoxybutyl (DB-PTCDI) have been synthesized and characterized. The compounds self-assembled as a network of nanobelts and nanorods in the solution based self-assembly process. Morphologies of these self-assembled structures were characterized by optical, fluorescence, scanning and transmission electronic microscopic techniques. One-dimensional self-assemblies of B-PTCDI and DB-PTCDI molecules are due to the strong pi-pi stacking ability of perylene core and assistance given by the side chains and solvent. Observed molecular self-assembly and electronic properties of the molecules. The observed self-assembly was supported by molecular modeling studies using density functional theory. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.