Controlled Supramolecular Self-Assembly of Uniform Nanostructures from Trimetallic Complexes

The self-assembly of a tris-salphen complex afforded supramolecular nanofibers with a narrow length distribution. Nanofiber lengths could be easily tuned with the self-assembly conditions while maintaining low dispersity. The crystal structure of the complex and density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggested the presence of a metastable aggregate which reorients on heating to afford longer supramolecular nanofibers. The surprising, controlled molecular assembly of these complexes may pave the way to well-defined nanostructures for catalysis, electronics, and optical applications.