A new class of amphiphilic boron(III) diketonate compounds has been designed and synthesized. Thin 2D nanosheet assemblies were formed with lamellar packing, which are most likely driven by non-covalent π–π interactions and hydrophobic interactions in a THF–water solution mixture. Detailed studies of the self-assembly mechanism have been conducted with solvent- and temperature-dependent electronic absorption and emission experiments. The supramolecular nanostructures and morphologies have been established by TEM, AFM and XRD studies, leading to an understanding of the assembly of boron(III) diketonate coordination materials.
