In situ polymerization of supramolecular nanorods assembled from polymerizable perylene bisimide

Abstract

A dimethacryl amide functionalized perylene bisimide monomer was synthesized. Such a polymerizable monomer can self-assemble into a one dimensional rod-like structure with a mean diameter of ca. 100 nm and a length of several micrometers. The preformed supramolecular assemblies were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, TEM, FE-SEM, X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. In situ free radical polymerization was then performed in the organized state to maintain the assembly structures, and the nanorods retained their original shapes after polymerization. A significant result is that the long-range π-electron delocalization enables enhancement of the electrical conductivity of these polymeric nanorods, which facilitates the construction of electronic devices.