UNINANOCUPS · Uni-directional Nanoscale Supramolecular Wires assembled by Photo- and Electro-Active Metallocyclodextrin Cups

Final Activity Report Summary - UNINANOCUPS (Uni-directional nanoscale supramolecular wires assembled by photo- and electro-active metallocyclodextrin cups)

Under this programme, we have successfully demonstrated the supramolecular assembly approach based on cyclodextrin-hosts and metalloguest recognition for the formation of multicomponent wires in solution and surfaces. We have achieved this by: (a) formation films of surface active metallo-guests and cyclodextrin hosts that are just one molecule thick; these "anchor" layers form the basis of longer, self-assembled molecular wires with interesting electrochemical and optical properties; (b) synthesis of new cyclodextrin derivatives and metallocyclodextrins with different recognition sites; (c) demonstration of the assembly of metallocyclodextrins with multiple guests in aqueous solutions; (d) demonstration of the unidirectional wire action in solution by probing energy and electron transfer processes; (e) development of new methodology for surface active ligands, metal complexes and cyclodextrins; (f) demonstration of the surface assembly of multicomponent wires based on the supramolecular assembly of cyclodextrin host-guest interaction. (g) primary designs of nanodevices and their electrical characterisatio (h) patterning of surfaces with gold nanopartciles and studies of the assembly of wires on those. The photoinduced energy and electron transfer rates of the active wire components in solution were in picosecond regime and were studied by fast laser spectroscopy techniques. Significantly, the rates of electron transfer of the thin films of metallocyclodextrins and metalloguests are approximately 100 times slower than state-of-the-art silicon devices. The multicomponent assembly of wires on surfaces allowed the detection of two redox centres that opens up the possibility of multi-bit data storage and processing.

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