Self-assembly and characterization of hydrogen-bonding one-dimensional nanostructure based on 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives

Abstract

Large scale 9,10-anthraquinone nanorods and 2-ethyl-9,10-anthraquinone nanoribbons with uniform sizes and shapes were synthesized via a simple self-assembly process without surfactant assistance. The shape of the as-prepared nanostructures can be readily controlled by varying the solubility of raw materials in the preparation solution. A growth mechanism was proposed for the formation of different morphological structures. Crystal structure analysis and the quantum chemical calculations demonstrated that the overlap between the two carbonyl groups at the opposite positions of the anthracene backbone results in effective hydrogen-bonding for self-assembly growth. Electronic and optical properties of the as-prepared nanostructures are investigated.