π-Conjugated Macrocycle Host-Guest Coassembly with C60 on HOPG.

Two kinds of π-conjugated macrocycles with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties were investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to elucidate their self-assembly behaviors and interaction with C60 on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface. Both TPEMC and TPEMCS could self-assemble into orderly cavity structures. However, C60 guest molecules could only successfully enter the cavity of TPEMC to form a stable TPEMC + C60 host-guest coassembly structure. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also used to interpret the assembly mechanisms. This work disclosed the assembly characteristic of these new types of conjugated macrocyclic compounds, which was helpful to develop new structural porous luminescent materials.