Straightforward Self-Assembly of Porphyrin Nanowires in Water: Harnessing Adamantane/β-Cyclodextrin Interactions

A convenient approach for the self-assembly of well-defined porphyrin nanowires in water, wherein the individual monomers do not aggregate via pi-pi interactions, is disclosed. These unidirectional and heteromeric assemblies are instead composed of robust beta-CD/adamantane host/guest interactions. A combination of surface microscopies and fluorescence energy transfer experiments were conducted on the nanowires demonstrating their stability and resistance to disassembly.