Tailored One- and Two-Dimensional Self-Assembly of a Perylene Diimide Derivative in Organic Solvents

We report on studies of the tailored self-assembly of the perylene diimide derivative, N,N′-ditridecylperylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide, into structures with fibrous gel-type, one-dimensional, and two-dimensional morphologies. This approach for producing highly ordered nanostructures of well-defined morphologies utilizes a property of π-conjugated molecules to assemble in poor organic solvents due to π–π interaction between the aromatic cores and takes advantage of the temperature dependence of solubility. The morphology control is based on a fine-tuning of anisotropic, intermolecular solute–solute interactions that are attenuated by the solute–solvent interaction in organic solvents of different chemical structure. We discuss the role of light illumination in the self-assembly process as well as application of ultrasonic treatment as a way of mechanical tailoring of morphology. This approach paves the way toward the molecular-scale tailoring of structural properties of organic semiconducting mate...