A Defective Nanotube Molecule of C552H496N24 with Pyridinic and Pyrrolic Nitrogen Atoms

A 3-nm molecule comprising a cylindrical core and cross-shaped rims was designed and synthesized by developing a modular synthetic route. By using a cyclic precursor from previous studies as a starting material, multiple carbazole units were installed at the rims of the defective cylinder. The defective cylinder was synthetically doped with two types of nitrogen atoms, that is, pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen atoms, which resulted in solvatochromic shifts in fluorescence by charge-transfer interactions. The structure of the large, C552H496N24 molecule was fully disclosed by crystallographic analyses, and the unique helical arrangement of nitrogen-doped cylinders in the crystal was revealed.

Automated summary

A 3-nm molecule with a cylindrical core and cross-shaped rims was designed and synthesized using a modular synthetic route. Carbazole units were incorporated at the rims and two types of nitrogen atoms were doped into the defective cylinder, leading to solvatochromic shifts in fluorescence. Crystallographic analyses of the large molecule revealed a unique helical arrangement of nitrogen-doped cylinders in the crystal.