Small sized perylene-bisimide assemblies controlled by both cooperative and anti-cooperative assembly processes

Abstract

Cooperative aggregation of monomers into one-dimensional nanostructures typically results in elongated objects. Here we analyse in depth the self-assembly of an N-monoarylated perylene bisimide which shows characteristics of a cooperative growth mechanism but unexpectedly yields objects of small size, due to anti-cooperativity by attenuated growth.