Redox-responsive morphology transformation of self-assembled nanostructures based on thiol-disulfide interconversion

One dimensional (1D) nanotubes and three dimensional (3D) flowerlike supernanostructures were transformed reversibly, which was controlled by the oxidation and reduction cycle of aromatic diamide-derived thiol 1 and disulfide 2, as evidenced by SEM study. Their self-assembling patterns were investigated by UV-vis, 1H NMR, X-ray crystallographic, and powder X-ray diffraction experiments.