Complex self-assembly of pyrimido[4,5-d]pyrimidine nucleoside supramolecular structures

Supramolecular self-assembly is not only one of the chemical roots of biological structure but is also drawing attention in different industrial fields. Here we study the mechanism of the formation of a complex flower-shaped supramolecular structure of pyrimido[4,5-d]pyrimidine nucleosides by dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray analysis. Upon removing the hydroxyl group of sugars, different flower-shaped superstructures can be produced. These works demonstrate that complex self-assembly can indeed be attained through hierarchical non-covalent interactions of single molecules. Furthermore, chimerical structures built from molecular recognition by these monomers indicate their potential in other fields if combined with other chemical entities. Supramolecular self-assembly is a fundamentally important process in fields ranging from structural biology to materials chemistry. Here, the authors report the supramolecular assembly of complex nanostructures from simple nucleosides, and probe the formation process using various in situtechniques.