Anion-templated hexagonal nanotubes

Chem Sci. 2015 Nov 1;6(11):6245-6249. doi: 10.1039/c5sc02577j. Epub 2015 Aug 27.

Abstract

Hydrogen bonding between bromide anions and a tetrahydroxytriptycene ligand was used to assemble crystalline hexagonal tubes with nanometer diameters in good yield. Use of a hexahydroxytriptycene ligand again gave hexagonal nanotubes, but containing the spontaneously-oxidised quinone-tetrahydroxy ligand. The surprisingly robust nanotubes are stable to heat, vacuum and water, and represent an unprecedented use of O-H···anion coordination to assemble complex three-dimensional structures.