Self-assembly and tunable optical properties of intramolecular charge transfer molecules

Crystalline aggregates formed by self-assembly of organic small molecules have aroused intensive attention in many fields due to their controllable morphologies and functionalization. The advantages of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) compounds endow them with the ability to self-assemble into diverse dimensional crystalline microstructures, as potential candidates for advanced materials and smart miniatures in practical applications. In this review, the recent progresses of self-assembled microstructures of functional ICT molecules in our group for a decade are summarized. The factors influencing the fabrication of the microstructures in solvent-involved processes are fully discussed. Distinct optical properties induced by self-assembly behaviors are also depicted. We try to give an outlook of structure-property relationships in functional microstructure engineering and clarify the crucial issues to be addressed in the future scientific research.