Quasi-Crystal Structure Formation is the Prerequisite for Organic Liquid Micro- and Nano-Crystal Engineering

Formation of liquid micro-crystals based on self-organized water-porphyrin assemblies found earlier isusually accompanied by generation of hole polaron. Hole polaron movement along the wires of hydrogenbonds through the liquid crystalline structure creates the water network squeezing around the porphyrindimers. Possibility of the latter has been investigated by IR spectroscopy with two supports for theself-organized assemblies deposited on fluorite or germanium plates. The obtained IR spectra exhibittwo different behaviors of the TPP self-organized assemblies. In the case of Ge plate, only protonatedTPP dimers without aqueous cover are found in the corresponding IR spectrum that excludes theformation of liquid micro-crystals. The observed destruction of the self-organized assemblies was thereason to study a thin aqueous layer found by IR spectroscopy on Ge plate. The obtained experimentalresults and theoretical estimations based on polaronic exciton concept allowed to conclude that thethin aqueous layer on Ge plate has the quasi-crystal structure also. Bound state energy of polaronicexciton in this structure has the fewer barriers than the energy gap in germanium that is the cause of theelectron leaving from the quasi-particle. However, liquid crystal engineering requires the quasi-particlepreservation, i.e. the state of electron coupled with the hole for stabilization of hole polaron movement.