Nearly-freestanding supramolecular assembly with tunable structural properties

Autor: Tommaso Caruso, Oreste De Luca, Nicola Melfi, Alfonso Policicchio, Michele Pisarra, Nicolas Godbert, Iolinda Aiello, Eugenia Giorno, Daniela Pacilè, Paolo Moras, Fernando Martín, Petra Rudolf, Raffaele Giuseppe Agostino, Marco Papagno
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Scientific Reports, Vol 13, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28865-w
Popis: Abstract The synthesis and design of two-dimensional supramolecular assemblies with specific functionalities is one of the principal goals of the emerging field of molecule-based electronics, which is relevant for many technological applications. Although a large number of molecular assemblies have been already investigated, engineering uniform and highly ordered two-dimensional molecular assemblies is still a challenge. Here we report on a novel approach to prepare wide highly crystalline molecular assemblies with tunable structural properties. We make use of the high-reactivity of the carboxylic acid functional moiety and of the predictable structural features of non-polar alkane chains to synthesize 2D supramolecular assemblies of 4-(decyloxy)benzoic acid (4DBA;C $$_{17}$$ 17 H $$_{26}$$ 26 O $$_{3}$$ 3 ) on a Au(111) surface. By means of scanning tunneling microscopy, density functional theory calculations and photoemission spectroscopy, we demonstrate that these molecules form a self-limited highly ordered and defect-free two-dimensional single-layer film of micrometer-size, which exhibits a nearly-freestanding character. We prove that by changing the length of the alkoxy chain it is possible to modify in a controlled way the molecular density of the “floating” overlayer without affecting the molecular assembly. This system is especially suitable for engineering molecular assemblies because it represents one of the few 2D molecular arrays with specific functionality where the structural properties can be tuned in a controlled way, while preserving the molecular pattern.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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