Kanazawa University research: Solvent effects of siloxanes on donor-acceptor interactions KANAZAWA, Japan, May 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Chemical Communications how solvents influence the strength of donor-acceptor interactions. They found that silicone solvents, providing low compatibility, intensify donor-acceptor interactions between aromatic molecules compared to hydrocarbon solvents. Aromatic donor-acceptor (D-A) interactions are a type of non-covalent bond between a donor (electron-rich) and an acceptor (electron-deficient) aromatic molecules. Aromatic molecules feature one or more rings with 'delocalized' electrons. The aromatic D-A interactions are widely used for building supramolecular structures, which are assembly of molecules formed by non-covalent bonds like building blocks. The supramolecular structures have smart properties such as external stimuli-responsiveness and self-repairing. The stability and smart properties of supramolecular architectures formed by D-A interactions depend on characteristics of the D-A interactions in various circumstances. Shogo Amemori and colleagues from Kanazawa University have now investigated the solvent effects on a strength of D-A interactions. Their findings provide important insights into the origin of aromatic D-A interactions and new molecular design of supramolecular architectures.