Controlled Surface Decoration with Functional Supramolecular Nanofibers by Physical Vapor Deposition

Surface decoration of support structures by physical vapor deposition (PVD) of small molecular building blocks offers a versatile platform to realize functional supramolecular nanofibers in a controlled manner and with tailored properties. Here, details on the preparation of surface-decorated polyamide fabrics by PVD using N¹,N³,N⁵-tris[2-(diisopropylamino)-ethyl]-1,3,5-benzenetricarboxamide (1) as a molecular building block are reported. It is shown that a defined morphology with uniform nanofiber length can be achieved, which is controlled by the PVD conditions. The functional periphery of supramolecular nanofibers of 1 allows the immobilization of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). This results in AuNP-loaded nanostructures with a high surface area, which can be used as a heterogenous catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol in aqueous media. The surface-decorated support structures with firmly deposited AuNPs also provide the opportunity to conveniently reuse these structures without compromising the catalytic performance. This approach provides fabrication strategies for the controlled surface decoration of macroscopic support structures with small molecular building blocks by PVD with the potential to realize functional robust supramolecular nanofibers for various catalytic or filtration applications.