A defective nanotube molecule of C552H496N24 with pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen atoms

A 3-nm molecule comprised of a cylindrical core and cross-shaped rims was designed and synthesized by developing a modular synthetic route. By using a cyclic precursor from previous studies as a starting material, multiple carbazole units were installed at the rims of the defective cylinder. The defective cylinder was synthetically doped with two types of nitrogen atoms,  i.e. , pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen atoms, which resulted in solvatochromic shifts in fluorescence via charge-transfer interactions. The structure of the large, C 552 H 496 N 24  molecule was fully disclosed by crystallographic analyses, and the unique helical arrangement of nitrogen-doped cylinders in the crystal was revealed.