2017-11-13, Moradi, Mina, Tulli, Ludovico, Nowakowski, Jan, Jung, Thomas A, Shahgaldian, Patrick, Baljozovic, Milos

A flexible and versatile method to fabricate two-dimensional metal–organic coordination networks (MOCNs) by bottom-up self-assembly is described. 2D crystalline layers were formed at the air–water interface, coordinated by ions from the liquid phase, and transferred onto a solid substrate with their crystallinity preserved. By using an inherently three-dimensional amphiphile, namely 25,26,27,28-tetrapropoxycalix[4]arene-5,11,17,23-tetracarboxylic acid, and a copper metal node, large and monocrystalline dendritic MOCN domains were formed. The method described allows for the fabrication of monolayers of tunable crystallinity on liquid and solid substrates. It can be applied to a large range of differently functionalized organic building blocks, also beyond macrocycles, which can be interconnected by diverse metal nodes.

2016, Tulli, Ludovico, Wang, Wenjie, Rullaud, Vanessa, Lindemann, William R., Kuzmenko, Ivan, Vaknin, David, Shahgaldian, Patrick

Two amphiphilic calix[4]​arenes bearing four dodecyl chains at the lower rim and two amino functions (vicinal and distal) at the para-​phenolic positions have been synthesized. Surface-​pressure vs. mol.-​area isotherms reveal that Langmuir monolayers of the two regioisomers show considerably distinct self-​assembly behaviors at the air-​water interface. Compression isotherms, Brewster angle microscopy and synchrotron-​based X-​ray near-​total-​reflection fluorescence, X-​ray reflectivity and grazing incidence X-​ray diffraction reveal that the monolayers of the two diamino calix[4]​arene derivs. and those of their structural analogs bearing four amino moieties in para positions exhibit significant differences in their binding properties towards HgCl2 despite the structural and functional similarity among the macrocycles.

2015, Tulli, Ludovico, Wang, Wenjie, Lindemann, William R., Kuzmenko, Ivan, Meier, Wolfgang, Vaknin, David, Shahgaldian, Patrick