Carbon nanotubes are the center of the nanotechnology revolution due to their potential applications in biochemical sensors, electronics, and medical deliveries. Based on our experience on polydiacetylenes (PDAs), our goal is to prepare synthetic nanotubes by using diacetylene topochemical polymerizations. Compared to the widely studied carbon nanotubes, a potential advantage of these synthetic organic nanotubes is their unlimited potential for modification by organic synthesis as needed for different applications. Here, we designed and synthesized a series of macrocyclic diacetylenes and assembled them into columns by using intermolecular p - p stacking forces. Different functional groups were introduced into the macrocycles to achieve the ideal packing distances needed for the polymerization. X-ray crystallography clearly shows the formation of tubular structures.

Design and synthesis of organic nanotubes

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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