Self-assembled rosette nanotubes from tetra guanine-cytosine modules

• Published in: Nanoscale advances 2024-12, Vol.7 (1), p.281-287
• Main Authors: Hemraz, Usha D, Yamazaki, Takeshi, El-Bakkari, Mounir, Cho, Jae-Young, Fenniri, Hicham
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry
• ISSN: 2516-0230; 2516-0230
• DOI: 10.1039/d4na00567h

Self-assembly of small molecules into supramolecular architectures is a sustainable alternative to new advanced material design. Herein, the design and synthesis of a self-assembling system containing four covalently linked hybrid guanine and cytosine (G∧C) units that were connected through bifunctional amines are reported. These tetra G∧C motifs were characterized and self-assembled in water and methanol to produce discrete nanostructures. Each module has 24 sites for intermolecular hydrogen bonding and it is proposed that in solution the four G∧C units per molecule align into a linear stack which in turn self-assembles into a hexameric super-helix held together by 72 intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Stacking of these nano-helices led to the formation of quad rosette nanotubes. Self-assembly of small molecules into supramolecular architectures is a sustainable alternative to new advanced material design.