Thermally activated polymorphic transition from a 1D ribbon to a 2D carpet: squaric acid on Au(111)

Abstract

Polymorphic transition from the 1D ribbon to the 2D carpet superstructure of squaric acid molecules on Au(111) was achieved through a thermally activated process. Our combined STM and DFT study revealed that the molecular arrangements in 1D and 2D superstructures are determined by the stability of their conformational isomers and assembled structures, respectively.