Lithium-Conducting Self-Assembled Organic Nanotubes

Supramolecular polymers are compelling platforms for the design of stimuli-responsive materials with emergent functions. Here, we report the assembly of an amphiphilic nanotube for Li-ion conduction that exhibits high ionic conductivity, mechanical integrity, electrochemical stability, and solution processability. Imine condensation of a pyridine-containing diamine with a triethylene glycol functionalized isophthalaldehyde yields pore-functionalized macrocycles. Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and in solvo X-ray diffraction reveal that macrocycle protonation under their mild synthetic conditions drives assembly into high-aspect ratio (>103) nanotubes with three interior triethylene glycol groups. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrates that lithiated nanotubes are efficient Li+ conductors, with an activation energy of 0.42 eV and a peak room temperature…