Highly Regulated Supramolecular Assembly of 2-O-Methylated ?-Cyclodextrin to Construct Vertically Oriented Microrods on Graphite

Precisely controlling self-assembled molecules to fabricate highly ordered nano/microstructures is a challenging task. Here, a simple precipitation technique with common solvents forms supramolecular microstructures with highly regulated moleculararrangements from a methylated derivative of alpha-cyclodextrin at the 2-Oposition (2-Me-alpha-CD). The formation of a head-to-tailchannel assembly of 2-Me-alpha-CD through host-guest complexation with a solvent molecule such as benzene or cyclohexane yieldswell-defined hexagonal microrods. Specifically, the self-assembly of 2-Me-alpha-CD forms vertically aligned hexagonal microrods on ahighly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface via epitaxial growth. This work should provide insight into the design of supramolecular building blocks for controlled self-assembly

Automated summary

This study successfully fabricated supramolecular microstructures with highly regulated molecular arrangements using a simple precipitation technique with common solvents. The use of 2-Me-α-CD resulted in the formation of vertically aligned hexagonal microrods, providing insights into the design of supramolecular building blocks for controlled self-assembly.