Self-assembled rosette nanotubes from tetra guanine-cytosine modules†

Self-assembly of small molecules into supramolecular architectures is a sustainable alternative to new advanced material design. Herein, the design and synthesis of a self-assembling system containing four covalently linked hybrid guanine and cytosine (G∧C) units that were connected through bifunctional amines are reported. These tetra G∧C motifs were characterized and self-assembled in water and methanol to produce discrete nanostructures. Each module has 24 sites for intermolecular hydrogen bonding and it is proposed that in solution the four G∧C units per molecule align into a linear stack which in turn self-assembles into a hexameric super-helix held together by 72 intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Stacking of these nano-helices led to the formation of quad rosette nanotubes.