Supramolecular capsules from bilayer membrane scission driven by corannulene.

Self-assembly of polyaromatic systems has proved to be a powerful technique to construct nanoscale optoelectronic materials. However, attempts to develop self-assembled nanomaterials guided by pristine polyaromatic molecules have been limited. Here the construction of photoactive nanocapsules through the scission of an aromatic bilayer membrane driven by curved corannulene intercalation is reported. The framework of the capsule consists of the lateral array of corannulene, a buckyball fragment. The supramolecular capsules exhibit photocatalytic activity to degrade encapsulated fluorescein dye molecules under sunlight irradiation.