The self-assembly of 3,6-disubstituted amine-linked phenanthrene trimers, with a positive charged backbone in aqueous medium, form vesicles. In contrast, it was shown that 1,6-disubstituted phosphodiester-linked pyrene trimers, with a negative charged backbone, assemble to sheets. By preforming the supramolecular assemblies in its specific conditions, a buffer dependency can be avoided. Further it is possible to layer the cationic and anionic structures on top of each other. The different charged supramolecular assemblies were alternately layered on top of mica and analyzed by atomic-force microscopy.
