Epitaxial Growth of Nanorod Meshes from Luminescent Organic Cocrystals via Crystal Transformation

Two-dimensional (2D)
nanorod meshes made of benzoperylene-1,3-dicyano­tetrafluoro­benzene
(BP-1,3-DTFB) were formed via crystal transformation of the pre-existing
BP microsheets. The transformation was driven by a cooperative effect
of intermolecular charge-transfer and arene–perfluoroarene
interactions. Epitaxial growth of cyan-emitting BP-1,3-DTFB nanorod
meshes was directed by small lattice mismatch between BP and BP-1,3-DTFB,
followed by the consumption of BP and the formation of BP-1,3-DTFB.
Such a crystal transformation strategy can also be used to guide the
formation of BP-1,4-dicyano­tetrafluoro­benzene (BP-1,4-DTFB)
nanorod meshes. The present work reports a simple yet effective approach
for the realization of aligned organic nanorod superstructures.