An alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine complex functionalized with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) moieties has been demonstrated to exhibit self-association behavior to give various distinguishable nanostructures with interesting morphological transformation from rings to rods in response to solvent conditions through the stabilization of Pt···Pt and π-π stacking interactions as well as hydrophobic-hydrophobic interactions. These changes can be systemically controlled by varying the solvent composition and have been studied by (1)H NMR, electron microscopy, UV-vis absorption, and emission spectroscopies.

POSS-functionalized platinum(ii) complexes demonstrate systematically controllable morphological transformations through interplay of intermolecular interactions.