Mutual binding of polymer end-groups by complementary π-π-stacking: a molecular "Roman Handshake"

Barnaby W Greenland; Matthew B Bird; Stefano Burattini; Rainer Cramer; Rachel K O'Reilly; Joseph P Patterson; Wayne Hayes; Christine J Cardin; Howard M Colquhoun

doi:10.1039/c2cc35965k

Mutual binding of polymer end-groups by complementary π-π-stacking: a molecular "Roman Handshake"

Chem Commun (Camb). 2013 Jan 18;49(5):454-6. doi: 10.1039/c2cc35965k.

Authors

Barnaby W Greenland¹, Matthew B Bird, Stefano Burattini, Rainer Cramer, Rachel K O'Reilly, Joseph P Patterson, Wayne Hayes, Christine J Cardin, Howard M Colquhoun

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AD, UK. b.w.greenland@rdg.ac.uk

PMID: 23125972
DOI: 10.1039/c2cc35965k

Abstract

Self-complementary tweezer-molecules based on a naphthalenediimide core self-assemble into supramolecular dimers through mutual π-π-stacking and hydrogen bonding. The resulting motif is extremely stable in solution (K(a) = 10(5) M(-1)), and its attachment to one terminal position of a poly(ethylene glycol) chain leads to a doubling of the polymer's apparent molecular weight.