Themed collection Molecule-based surface chemistry

Recent developments in scanning probe microscopies (STM and AFM) have made it possible to study chemistry and physics at the single molecule level.

A combination of STM, XPS and DFT calculations shows the possibility of modifying intermolecular interactions of absorbed benzene-carboxylic acids from coordination to H-bonding by changing the surface coverage.

A doubly functionalized monomer is used to synthesize covalent phenylene–boroxine hybrid-networks by condensation in the crucible and radical addition on a Ag(111) surface.

Chloropentane forms symmetric (S) and asymmetric (A) pairs on Si(100)-2×1, differing in the direction of curvature of one pentane tail of the pair. This renders the rate of thermal chlorination reaction fifteen times slower for ‘S’ than for ‘A’, at room temperature.

An equimolar mixture of two structurally related molecules self-assembles into a 2D non-crystalline bimolecular porous pattern at a liquid–solid interface.

An achiral molecule forms one-dimensionally periodic patterns through enantiomeric aggregate inclusion.

The properties of thin, highly porous MOF coatings can be tailored by post-synthesis modification (PSM). To this end, different functionalities are covalently attached to the inside of the MOF framework pores.

The self-assembly of a zwitterionic quinonemonoimine is driven by charge-assisted hydrogen bonding and reveals intriguing morphology, stereochemistry and multilayer formation.

Step-by-step analysis demonstrates the role of footprint chirality in glycine/Cu hierarchical self-assembly. Formation of quantum corral and manipulation of isolated C₆₀ show the potential of this system for future applications.

Molecules within strongly chemisorbed homochiral monolayers can dynamically switch their chiral configurations and locally break enantiopurity.

Molecular modelling simulations are used to unravel the origin of supramolecular chirality in rosette-like assemblies of conjugated oligomers.

TCNE acts as an electron acceptor on silicon surfaces, leading to large reversible modulation of the drain current on alkyl passivated SOI pseudo-MOSFETS.

Small-molecule-based capture surfaces prepared by microcontact insertion printing vs.photolithographically assisted chemical patterning are compared. Selective capture of large-molecule binding partners from heterogeneous solutions is demonstrated.

The binding behaviour of PcCu(SO₃Na)₄ on the peptide assemblies reveals its relative binding affinities with different amino acid residues.

The interaction force and binding energy between a silicon cluster and a C₆₀ molecule has been measured using atomic force microscopy.

A matter of substitution: first generation poly(triazole-phenylene) dendrimers equipped with peripheral alkyl or carboxylic acid groups assemble into distinct two-dimensional nano-structures on graphite surfaces as revealed by STM investigations at the liquid–solid interface.

[60]Fullerene-containing SAMs on Au(111) surfaces are bioactive materials displaying a neuroprotective effect against L-Glu-induced excitotoxicity on human-derived undifferentiated neuroblastoma cells.

Depending on activation temperature, assembly of tribromo-substituted heterotriangulenes on Ag(111) results in two-dimensional porous metal-coordination or covalent networks.

Adsorption of (S)-lysine on Au{111} induces the formation of chiral Au nanofingers whose growth directions correlate with the preferred alignment of H-bonded lysine dimers observed in 2-D arrays.

Island morphologies are steered by changing the deposition order in molecular coadsorption, demonstrating the decisive role of non-equilibrium processes in molecular structure formation on an insulating surface.

Antiferromagnetic correlation between buckled dimers locally induced by chemisorption of a bidentate molecule on Si(100)(2 × 1) at 300 K.

STM reveals that replacing H-atoms by Cl-atoms in the prochiral structure of triazatrinaphthylene results in locking the free-rotation of the central guest molecules in the nanopores of the 2D lattice.

Three distinctive supramolecular structures, metallacycles, propeller trimers and extended linear chains, are selectively formed owing to different inter-molecular interactions.

CoCl₂ is patterned on both single-layer graphene oxide sheets and SiO₂ substrates simultaneously by dip-pen nanolithography, which is used for growth of different structured carbon nanotubes.

In situ scanning tunnelling spectroscopy reveals that ferrocene-modified n-Si(111) substrates show ambipolar FET behaviour if an electrolyte is used as a gate.

Physisorbed porphyrins at a liquid/solid interface require specific defects to exchange with the supernatant.

We present an STM study and DFT analysis of supramolecular networks formed by tetrabromotetrathienoanthracene at the liquid/solid interface.

The composition of two- and three-component phase-separated adlayers is controlled by the absolute concentration in solution.

The transfer of the cooperative self-assembled fibrils to a gold substrate reveals the crucial role of the early formation of a monolayer.

Three dimensional (3D) supramolecular nanostructures were built up using terephthalic acid (TPA) and stearic acid (STA) molecules by layer-by-layer method, which can be utilized to fabricate novel 3D functional nanostructures.

Sublimation of NaCl onto a hydrogen bonded layer of TCNQ leads to formation of an ionic layer via charge-transfer reaction.

Room temperature bimolecular substituted aromatic-ketone complexes are formed on Pt(111) through CH⋯O interactions directed by partial dehydrogenation of the alkyl substituent.

The density of an AEAPS-SAM has been estimated to be about 3 molecules per nm² based on chemical labeling with TNBS, optical absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Derivatives of the trioxatriangulenium ion were employed to prepare highly-ordered functional adlayers on Au(111) surfaces.

We report synthesis of a new low-gap polymer and its applications both in photovoltaics and near-infrared light-emitting diodes.

Alkanethiol SAMs were investigated by means of BiModal AFM. Morphological and mechanical properties show a parabolic trend vs. the chain length n, ascribed to the disorder at the SAMs/Au interface.

The monolayer packing behavior of rigid rods, clamped rigid rods, and macrocycles thereof is compared.

The packing and stability of monolayers depends on molecular shape. Anthracenes bearing complementary shaped alkadiyne side chains direct assembly of compositionally patterned, two component monolayers on HOPG.

Copper phthalocyanine can assemble along PPE backbones into molecular arrays and 2D assemblies with structural parameters different from its intrinsic 2D crystal. The template effect depends on the match between the size of phthalocyanine and the repeating period of the PPE backbone.

N-substituted oxoporphyrinogens land with N-substituents up when deposited on Au(111) yielding an effective method for surface functionalisation.

Modelling explains the polymorphism of functionalized azobenzenes on Au(111) and why two of the four polymorphs are isomerizable with an electrical stimulus.

Au or Ag nanoparticle-coated PDMS elastomers are used for highly sensitive Raman detection and chemical imaging of molecules on solid substrates.

Surface-alignment is an effective way to induce columnar stacking of buckybowls.

Surface polymerization is initiated locally with the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope or globally with electron beam irradiation.

Steric hindrance can be used to break the equivalence of di-σ attachment geometries on Si(111)-7x7 and stabilize an ordered array of 1,3,5-methyl benzene molecules.

Thermotropic liquid crystal (LC)-based inks are combined with patterned anchoring stamps to deposit organic monolayer films with simultaneous control over positional and molecular orientational order in a single step.

Photoswitchable bioelectrocatalysis of glucose with glucose oxidase in an “On–Off” state is fabricated from host–guest chemistry at an interface by using the photocontrolled reversible immobilization and detachment of ferrocene-labeled redox-polymer as mediator.