Synthesis and properties of molecular rods. 2. Zig-zag rods

Over the years, numerous rodlike oligomers have been synthesized and examined, and chemically pure rods of well-defined lengths of many nanometers have been prepared. Amidst the many activities, two main points of focus stand out very clearly. First, oligomers have been of interest as short chain models for specialty polymers. Second, a number of oligomers have been prepared as functional building blocks for nanoscale architectures with specific and tunable properties.