Single Crystalline Submicrotubes from Small Organic Molecules

The single crystalline submicrotubes of a small organic functional molecule, 2,4,5-triphenylimidazole (TPI), were successfully prepared with a facile method. A series of characterizations indicated that the tubes were obtained from the rolling followed by seaming of a preorganized two-dimensional sheet-like structure, whose formation was due to the efficient cooperation of several molecular recognition elements. The length and diameter of the TPI tubes can be readily controlled by adjusting the experimental conditions. The as-prepared submicrotubes have intensive luminescence and size-dependent optical properties, which allows them to find potential applications in novel optical and optoelectronic devices together with their single crystalline structure and good stability. The strategy described here should give a useful enlightenment for the design and fabrication of tubular structures from small organic molecules.