Formation of Spherulitic J-Aggregates from the Coassembly of Lithocholic Acid and Cyanine Dye

Supramolecular aggregates of organic dyes through noncovalent interactions have attracted great interest because they exhibit collective optical and excitonic properties. We report the formation of spherulitic J-aggregates from the coassembly of lithocholic acid (LCA) and 3,3'-diethylthiacarbocyanine iodide (DiSC(2)(3)) in ammonia solution. Each spherulite contains a core, which serves as a nucleus for the growth of radially oriented J-aggregate fibrils. We find that the growth of spherulitic J-aggregates exhibits a sigmoidal kinetic curve with an initial lag time, followed by a period of rapid growth and a finally slow approach to equilibrium.