Welding Molecular Crystals

Both
for fundamental and applied sciences, the design of complex
molecular systems in the crystalline phase with strict control of
order and periodicity at both microscopic and macroscopic levels is
of prime importance for development of new solid-state materials and
devices. The design and fabrication of complex crystalline systems
as networks of crystals displaying task-specific properties is a step
toward smart materials. Here we report on isostructural and almost
isometric molecular crystals of different colors, their use for fabrication
of core–shell crystals, and their welding by 3D epitaxial growth
into networks of crystals as single-crystalline entities. Welding
of crystals by self-assembly processes into macroscopic networks of
crystals is a powerful strategy for the design of hierarchically organized
periodic complex architectures composed of different subdomains displaying
targeted characteristics. Crystal welding may be regarded as a first
step toward the design of new hierarchically organized complex crystalline
systems.