Synthesis, characterization and photophysical studies of self-assembled azo biphenyl urea derivatives

Abstract

We reported the synthesis of a new series of azobiphenyl based urea derivatives 7 and their stimulus-responsive supramolecular structures in the form of sheet like self-assembled formations. The self-assembled nanostructural formations of azo derivatives 7 are strongly dependent on the nature of the solvent present in the systems. Further, we found that the amide hydrogen played a crucial role in hydrogen bonding interactions to form a sheet like morphology upon stimulus responsive self-assembly. This was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.