Precise Control Over Kinetics of Molecular Assembly: Production of Particles with Tunable Sizes and Crystalline Forms. (17th June 2020) - Fan, Qingrui
Abstract: It has been long‐pursued but remains a challenge to precisely manipulate the molecular assembly process to obtain desired functional structures. Reported here is the control over the assembly of solute molecules, by a programmed recrystallization of solvent crystal grains, to form micro/nanoparticles with tunable sizes and crystalline forms. A quantitative correlation between the protocol of recrystallization temperature and the assembly kinetics results in precise control over the size of assembled particles, ranging from single‐atom catalysts, pure drug nanoparticles, to sub‐millimeter organic‐semiconductor single crystals. The extensive regulation of the assembly rates leads to the unique and powerful capability of tuning the stacking of molecules, involving the formation of single crystals of notoriously crystallization‐resistant molecules and amorphous structures of molecules with a very high propensity to crystallize, which endows it with wide‐ranging applications. Abstract : In control : Solute molecules are assembled in the microchannel between solvent crystal grains driven by solvent recrystallization. Benefitting from separate and adjustable assembly kinetics and thermodynamics of the solvent recrystallization, various molecules can be assembled into monodisperse amorphous and crystalline particles with precisely controlled sizes, down to that of single atoms.