Molecular and Supramolecular Networks on Surfaces: From Two-Dimensional Crystal Engineering to Reactivity

Structure-property relationship of perylene bisimide macrocycles probed by atomic force microscopy and single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy

Properties of a series of acetylene-linked perylene bisimide (PBI) macrocycles with different ring size composed of three to six PBI dyes were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy in a condensed phase. It was demonstrated that the structures of PBI cyclic arrays (CNs, N = 3, 4, 5, and 6) become distorted with increasing the ring size through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (PM6-DH2 method) and AFM height images of CNs on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface. The MD simulations showed that only C5 and C6 rings are highly flexible molecules whose planarization goes along with a significant energetic penalty. Accordingly, both molecules did not show ordered adlayers on a HOPG surface. In contrast, C3 and C4 are far more rigid molecules leading to well-ordered hexagonal (C3) and rectangular (C4) 2D lattices. At the single-molecule level, we showed that the fluorescence properties of single CNs are affected by the structural changes. The fluorescence lifetimes of CNs became shorter and their distributions became broader due to the structural distortions with increasing the ring size. Furthermore, the CNs of smaller ring size exhibit a higher photostability and an efficient excitation energy transfer (EET) due to the more well-defined and planar structures compared to the larger CNs. Consequently, these observations provide evidence that not only PBI macrocycles are promising candidates for artificial light-harvesting systems, but also the photophysical properties of CNs are strongly related to the structural rigidity of CNs.

Crankshafts: using simple, flat C2h-symmetric molecules to direct the assembly of chiral 2D nanopatterns

Linear D2h-symmetric bisisophthalic acids 1 and 2 and related substances have well-defined flattened structures, high affinities for graphite, and strong abilities to engage in specific intermolecular interactions. Their adsorption produces characteristic nanopatterns that reveal how 2D molecular organization can be controlled by reliable interadsorbate interactions such as hydrogen bonds when properly oriented by molecular geometry. In addition, the behavior of these compounds shows how large-scale organization can be obstructed by programming molecules to associate strongly according to competing motifs that have similar stability and can coexist smoothly without creating significant defects. Analogous new bisisophthalic acids 3a and 4a have similar associative properties, and their unique C2h-symmetric crankshaft geometry gives them the added ability to probe the poorly understood effect of chirality on molecular organization. Their adsorption shows how nanopatterns composed predictably of a single enantiomer can be obtained by depositing molecules that can respect established rules of association only by accepting neighbors of the same configuration. In addition, an analysis of the adsorption of crankshaft compounds 3a and 4a and their derivatives by STM reveals directly on the molecular level how kinetics and thermodynamics compete to control the crystallization of chiral compounds. In such ways, detailed studies of the adsorption of properly designed compounds on surfaces are proving to be a powerful way to discover and test rules that broadly govern molecular organization in both 2D and 3D.

Self-assembly of N3-substituted xanthines in the solid state and at the solid-liquid interface

The self-assembly of small molecular modules interacting through noncovalent forces is increasingly being used to generate functional structures and materials for electronic, catalytic, and biomedical applications. The greatest control over the geometry in H-bond supramolecular architectures, especially in H-bonded supramolecular polymers, can be achieved by exploiting the rich programmability of artificial nucleobases undergoing self-assembly through strong H bonds. Here N(3)-functionalized xanthine modules are described, which are capable of self-associating through self-complementary H-bonding patterns to form H-bonded supramolecular ribbons. The self-association of xanthines through directional H bonding between neighboring molecules allows the controlled generation of highly compact 1D supramolecular polymeric ribbons on graphite. These architectures have been characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy at the solid-liquid interface, corroborated by dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT) studies and X-ray diffraction.

Regenerative electronic biosensors using supramolecular approaches

A supramolecular interface for Si nanowire FETs has been developed with the aim of creating regenerative electronic biosensors. The key to the approach is Si-NWs functionalized with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), to which receptor moieties can be attached with an orthogonal supramolecular linker. Here we demonstrate full recycling using the strongest biomolecular system known, streptavidin (SAv)-biotin. The bound SAv and the linkers can be selectively removed from the surface through competitive desorption with concentrated β-CD, regenerating the sensor for repeated use. An added advantage of β-CD is the possibility of stereoselective sensors, and we demonstrate here the ability to quantify the enantiomeric composition of chiral targets.

From the bottom up: dimensional control and characterization in molecular monolayers

Self-assembled monolayers are a unique class of nanostructured materials, with properties determined by their molecular lattice structures, as well as the interfaces with their substrates and environments. As with other nanostructured materials, defects and dimensionality play important roles in the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the monolayers. In this review, we discuss monolayer structures ranging from surfaces (two-dimensional) down to single molecules (zero-dimensional), with a focus on applications of each type of structure, and on techniques that enable characterization of monolayer physical properties down to the single-molecule scale.

On-surface azide-alkyne cycloaddition on Cu(111): does it "click" in ultrahigh vacuum?

Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we demonstrate that the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between a terminal alkyne and an azide can be performed under solvent-free ultrahigh vacuum conditions with reactants adsorbed on a Cu(111) surface. XPS shows significant degradation of the azide upon adsorption, which is found to be the limiting factor for the reaction.

Preprogrammed 2D folding of conformationally flexible oligoamides: foldamers with multiple turn elements

Controlling the molecular conformation of oligomers on surfaces through noncovalent interactions symbolizes an important approach in the bottom-up patterning of surfaces with nanoscale precision. Here we report on the design, synthesis, and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) investigation of linear oligoamides adsorbed at the liquid-solid interface. A new class of extended foldamers comprising as many as four turn elements based on a structural design "rule" adapted from a mimic foldamer was successfully synthesized. The self-assembly of these progressively complex oligomeric structures was scrutinized at the liquid-solid interface by employing STM. Submolecularly resolved STM images of foldamers reveal characteristic in-plane folding and self-assembly behavior of these conformationally flexible molecules. The complexity of the supramolecular architectures increases with increasing number of turn elements. The dissimilarity in the adsorption behavior of different foldamers is discussed qualitatively in light of enthalpic and entropic factors. The modular construction of these oligomeric foldamers with integrated functionalities provides a simple, efficient, and versatile approach to surface patterning with molecular precision.

One plus two: supramolecular coordination in a nano-reactor on surface

The supramolecular coordination of zinc (II) phthalocyanine (Zn-Pc) with V-shaped bi-pyridine in a nano-reactor is probed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at liquid/solid interface. Combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, our STM results show that the V-shaped bi-pyridine and Zn-Pc can generate stable “odd-even” patterned architectures in the TCDB network through a two-step coordination process. Moreover, great changes for the size and the shape of the host cavity have happened during the coordination process. In general, the whole coordination process is regulated by the synergies of ligand and template. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work on imaging of supramolecular coordination in a nano-reactor. Such a template-regulated supramolecular interconversion opens a new avenue towards the crystal engineering and design as well as the generation of controllable nano-patterns.

Halogen bonds in 2D supramolecular self-assembly of organic semiconductors

Weak interactions between bromine, sulphur, and hydrogen are shown to stabilize 2D supramolecular monolayers at the liquid-solid interface. Three different thiophene-based semiconducting organic molecules assemble into close-packed ultrathin ordered layers. A combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT) elucidates the interactions within the monolayer. Electrostatic interactions are identified as the driving force for intermolecular Br···Br and Br···H bonding. We find that the SS interactions of the 2D supramolecular layers correlate with the hole mobilities of thin film transistors of the same materials.

Noncovalent bicomponent self-assemblies on a silicon surface

Two-dimensional supramolecular multicomponent networks on surfaces are of major interest for the building of highly ordered functional materials with nanometer-sized features especially designed for applications in nanoelectronics, energy storage, sensors, etc. If such molecular edifices have been previously built on noble metals or HOPG surfaces, we have successfully realized a 2D open supramolecular framework on a silicon adatom-based surface under ultrahigh vacuum with thermal stability up to 400 K by combining molecule-molecule and molecule-silicon substrate interactions. One of these robust open networks was further used to control both the growth and the periodicity of the first bicomponent arrays without forming any covalent bond with a silicon surface. Our strategy allows the formation of a well-controlled long-range periodic array of single fullerenes by site-specificity inclusion into a bicomponent supramolecular network.

Catalytic activity of macroion-porphyrin nanoassemblies

A new type of catalytically active self-assembled nanostructures in aqueous solution is presented. Polyelectrolyte-porphyrin nanoscale assemblies consisting of anionic cylindrical poly(styrene sulfonate) brush molecules and cationic tetravalent meso-tetrakis(4-N-methyl-pyridinium)porphyrin (TMPyP) or meso-tetrakis(4-(trimethyl-ammonium)phenyl)-porphyrin (TAPP), respectively, exhibit up to 8-fold higher catalytic activity with regard to light induced iodide oxidation than the corresponding porphyrins without polymeric template. This is particularly interesting because a general concept rather than a specific binding motif is exploited. The approach introduced here hence is attractive due to its facility and versatility and bears potential, for example, in light harvesting and energy conversion.

Two-dimensional networks of an azobenzene derivative: bi-pyridine mediation and photo regulation

Two-dimensional photosensitive supramolecular assemblies based on an azobenzene derivative and bi-pyridine are built up and investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). In order to probe the photo-induced self-assembled behavior of these two molecules, irradiation experiments with different wavelengths are designed and performed. Our STM results show that the constructed H-bonded networks can be reversibly regulated under irradiation with UV light and visible light.

Selecting speed-dependent pathways for a programmable nanoscale texture by wet interfaces

The realization of well-defined and ordered structures on the nanoscale is a main issue in nanoscience and nanotechnology, biotechnology and other related fields like plastic or organic electronics. Among the bottom-up approaches, to date, self-assembly (equilibrium aggregates) received a major attention. In spite of this, far from equilibrium conditions allow for the generation of a wider landscape of organized systems depending on the set of control parameters employed. Under an adaptation vision of the structures, here we report some case studies showing how it is possible to programme and control the nanoscale features of ordered super- or supra-aggregates at wet interfaces by modulating the dynamic parameters. In particular, speed is foreseen as a threshold factor for changing the aggregation mechanism along with the shape and degree of order of the structures as well as, within a specific aggregation path, their size and defectivity.

Entropy-controlled 2D supramolecular structures of N,N'-bis(n-alkyl)naphthalenediimides on a HOPG surface

The two-dimensional supramolecular structures of a series of N,N'-bis(n-alkyl)naphthalenediimides (NDIs), whose chain lengths span from C3 to C18, at a liquid-HOPG surface interface, studied by STM and FM-AFM, are assigned with the help of molecular dynamics/molecular mechanics calculations to demonstrate that the C3- and C4-NDIs show lamellar structures, the C4- to C12-NDIs show honeycomb (KAGOME) structures, and the C14- to C18-NDIs show lamellar structures again. The change in supramolecular structure depending on chain length can be explained semiquantitatively by the balance of entropy and enthalpy terms to show the importance of "self-avoiding walk" of the alkyl chain in entropy terms.