Controlled supramolecular assemblies of luminescent tridentate cyclometalated alkynylgold(III) amphiphiles in aqueous media.

Abstract

Gold(III) complexes and amphiphiles have been extensively investigated over a decade. Supramolecular assemblies of gold(III) amphiphiles in aqueous media exhibit high sensitivities to external stimulations for soft functional materials. Herein, we introduce a new molecular design of a tridentate cyclometalated gold(III) amphiphile (GA) with flexible molecular structure modifications. Counterion exchange with sodium tosylate induces notable luminescent enhancement and enables control over supramolecular assembly processes. This approach drives a supramolecular assembly transformation of GA from disordered nanosheets to well-ordered nanoribbons upon the additions of multiple equivalents of counterion, enabling a tunable pathway for controlled supramolecular transformation.