A solid-state fluorescent host system with a 2(1)-helical column consisting of chiral (1R,2S)-2-amino-1,2-diphenylethanol and fluorescent 1-pyrenecarboxylic acid.

A solid-state fluorescent host system was created by self-assembly of a 2(1)-helical columnar organic fluorophore composed of (1R,2S)-2-amino-1,2-diphenylethanol and fluorescent 1-pyrenecarboxylic acid. This host system has a characteristic 2(1)-helical columnar hydrogen- and ionic-bonded network. Channel-like cavities are formed by self-assembly of this column, and various guest molecules can be included by tuning the packing of this column. Moreover, the solid-state fluorescence of this host system can change according to the included guest molecules. This occurs because of the change in the relative arrangement of the pyrene rings as they adjust to the tuning of the packing of the shared 2(1)-helical column, according to the size of the included guest molecules. Therefore, this host system can recognize slight differences in molecular size and shape.