Supramolecular Orientation in Anisotropic Assemblies by Infrared Nanopolarimetry

We report on the experimental characterization of anisotropic supramolecular assemblies by infrared (IR) nanopolarimetry. The presented IR absorption anisotropy imaging method simultaneously provides nanoscale-resolved insights into internal composition, intermolecular interactions, and supramolecular orientation in a label-free and noninvasive fashion. Our study of porphyrin aggregates demonstrates that their morphology can be correlated with stable J-type and metastable H-type stacking-induced anisotropic organization, revealing different oriented attachment growth mechanisms supported by theory. This analysis establishes the broad applicability of IR nanopolarimetric studies to supramolecular polymerization and biomolecular assemblies, opening up new routes in polymer science and macromolecular research.