New self-assembling nanomaterials: Development of nanowires based on the one-dimensional metal complexes

The ability to manipulate nano to microscopic superstructures based on molecular self-assembly holds a key to develop future nanomaterials. In this review, the design and synthesis of self-assembling inorganic nanowires are introduced. First, lipophilic nanowires consisting of cationic, one-dimensional mixed valence Pt^II/R^IV complex and anionic lipids are developed. They display thermal dissociation and re-assembling characteristics and provide the first example of self-assembling conjugated nanowires. It also enables bottom-up manipulation of stereo-nanoarchitectures on solid surfaces. Second, heat-set gel-like networks are self-assembled from lipophilic Co (II) triazole complex in chloroform. It affords blue gel at room temperature, whose color is characteristic of the tetrahedral (T_d) coordination structure. Upon cooling, the gel is dissolved into pale pink solution (O _h complex) and this change was thermally reversible. The reversible, heat-set gelation of organic liquids has been unprecedented. These new approaches and findings provide new dimensions in the fields of nano- and materials chemistry.