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Li Z, Li Y, Yin C. Manipulating Molecular Self-Assembly Process at the Solid-Liquid Interface Probed by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:4176. [PMID: 37896420 PMCID: PMC10610993 DOI: 10.3390/polym15204176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon of ordered self-assembly on solid substrates is a topic of interest in both fundamental surface science research and its applications in nanotechnology. The regulation and control of two-dimensional (2D) self-assembled supra-molecular structures on surfaces have been realized through applying external stimuli. By utilizing scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), researchers can investigate the detailed phase transition process of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), providing insight into the interplay between intermolecular weak interactions and substrate-molecule interactions, which govern the formation of molecular self-assembly. This review will discuss the structural transition of self-assembly probed by STM in response to external stimuli and provide state-of-the-art methods such as tip-induced confinement for the alignment of SAM domains and selective chirality. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in the field of self-assembly and STM.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yanan Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China;
| | - Chengjie Yin
- School of Chemical Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China;
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2
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Yu LH, Cai ZF, Verstraete L, Xia Y, Fang Y, Cuccia L, Ivasenko O, De Feyter S. Defect-engineered surfaces to investigate the formation of self-assembled molecular networks. Chem Sci 2022; 13:13212-13219. [PMID: 36425498 PMCID: PMC9667956 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc04599k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Herein we report the impact of covalent modification (grafting), inducing lateral nanoconfinement conditions, on the self-assembly of a quinonoid zwitterion derivative into self-assembled molecular networks at the liquid/solid interface. At low concentrations where the compound does not show self-assembly behaviour on bare highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), close-packed self-assembled structures are visualized by scanning tunneling microscopy on covalently modified HOPG. The size of the self-assembled domains decreases with increasing the density of grafted molecules, i.e. the molecules covalently bound to the surface. The dynamics of domains are captured with molecular resolution, revealing not only time-dependent growth and shrinkage processes but also the orientation conversion of assembled domains. Grafted pins play a key role in initiating the formation of on-surface molecular self-assembly and their stabilization, providing an elegant route to study various aspects of nucleation and growth processes of self-assembled molecular networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Hua Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven Celestijnenlaan 200F B-3001 Leuven Belgium
| | - Zhen-Feng Cai
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich Zurich CH-8093 Switzerland
| | - Lander Verstraete
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven Celestijnenlaan 200F B-3001 Leuven Belgium
- imec Kapeldreef 75 3001 Leuven Belgium
| | - Yuanzhi Xia
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven Celestijnenlaan 200F B-3001 Leuven Belgium
| | - Yuan Fang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University Suzhou 215123 PR China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Soochow University Suzhou 215123 Jiangsu PR China
| | - Louis Cuccia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University 7141 Sherbrooke St. W. Montreal Québec Canada
| | - Oleksandr Ivasenko
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven Celestijnenlaan 200F B-3001 Leuven Belgium
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University Suzhou 215123 Jiangsu PR China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University Suzhou 215123 PR China
| | - Steven De Feyter
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven Celestijnenlaan 200F B-3001 Leuven Belgium
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3
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Brown A, Greenwood J, Lockhart de la Rosa CJ, Rodríguez González MC, Verguts K, Brems S, Zhang H, Hirsch BE, De Gendt S, Delabie A, Caymax M, Teyssandier J, De Feyter S. A chemisorbed interfacial layer for seeding atomic layer deposition on graphite. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:12327-12341. [PMID: 34254598 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr06959k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The integration of graphene, and more broadly two-dimensional materials, into devices and hybrid materials often requires the deposition of thin films on their usually inert surface. As a result, strategies for the introduction of surface reactive sites have been developed but currently pose a dilemma between robustness and preservation of the graphene properties. A method is reported here for covalently modifying graphitic surfaces, introducing functional groups that act as reactive sites for the growth of high quality dielectric layers. Aryl diazonium species containing tri-methoxy groups are covalently bonded (grafted) to highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and graphene, acting as seeding species for atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2O3, a high-κ dielectric material. A smooth and uniform dielectric film growth is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electrical measurements. Raman spectroscopy showed that the aryl groups gradually detach from the graphitic surface during the Al2O3 ALD process at 150 °C, with the surface reverting back to the original sp2-hybridized state and without damaging the dielectric layer. Thus, the grafted aryl groups can act as a sacrificial seeding layer after healing the defects of the graphitic surface with annealing treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Brown
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan, 200 F, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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4
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Bragança AM, Minoia A, Steeno R, Seibel J, Hirsch BE, Verstraete L, Ivasenko O, Müllen K, Mali KS, Lazzaroni R, De Feyter S. Detection and Stabilization of a Previously Unknown Two-Dimensional (Pseudo)polymorph using Lateral Nanoconfinement. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:11080-11087. [PMID: 34283574 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c04445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We report on the detection and stabilization of a previously unknown two-dimensional (2D) pseudopolymorph of an alkoxy isophthalic acid using lateral nanoconfinement. The self-assembled molecular networks formed by the isophthalic acid derivative were studied at the interface between covalently modified graphite and an organic solvent. When self-assembled on graphite with moderate surface coverage of covalently bound aryl groups, a previously unknown metastable pseudopolymorph was detected. This pseudopolymorph, which was presumably "trapped" in between the surface bound aryl groups, underwent a time-dependent phase transition to the stable polymorph typically observed on pristine graphite. The stabilization of the pseudopolymorph was then achieved by using an alternative nanoconfinement strategy, where the domains of the pseudopolymorph could be formed and stabilized by restricting the self-assembly in nanometer-sized shallow compartments produced by STM-based nanolithography carried out on a graphite surface with a high density of covalently bound aryl groups. These experimental results are supported by molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics simulations, which not only provide important insight into the relative stabilities of the different structures, but also shed light onto the mechanism of the formation and stabilization of the pseudopolymorph under nanoscopic lateral confinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Bragança
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Andrea Minoia
- Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials, Materials Research Institute, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Roelof Steeno
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johannes Seibel
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Brandon E Hirsch
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lander Verstraete
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Oleksandr Ivasenko
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Klaus Müllen
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Kunal S Mali
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Roberto Lazzaroni
- Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials, Materials Research Institute, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Steven De Feyter
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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5
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Verstraete L, De Feyter S. 2D Self-assembled molecular networks and on-surface reactivity under nanoscale lateral confinement. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:5884-5897. [PMID: 34027935 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs01338b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Supramolecular self-assembly at surfaces provides a pathway for building chemically customized interfaces. Over the last three decades, research on the role of key parameters such as temperature, solute concentration, and molecular design has enabled a steady increase in the complexity of self-assembled molecular networks (SAMNs) that can thus be created. However, the structure and quality of SAMNs is often determined during the early stages of nucleation and growth. To study and influence self-assembly processes at this deterministic length scale, spatial confinement of molecular adsorbates to well-defined surface patterns with nanoscale lateral dimensions offers exciting possibilities. The aim of this tutorial review is to give an overview of the various ways in which confinement impacts SAMN formation, and how we can use that knowledge to direct assemblies towards desired structures. The possibility to exploit confinement for improved control over on-surface reactions is also contemplated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lander Verstraete
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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6
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Huan J, Zhang X, Zeng Q. Two-dimensional supramolecular crystal engineering: chirality manipulation. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:11537-11553. [PMID: 31115407 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp02207d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Two dimensional (2D) supramolecular crystal engineering, one of the most important strategies towards nanotechnology, is both a science and an industry. In the present review, the recent advances in 2D supramolecular crystal engineering through chirality manipulation on solid surfaces are summarized, with the aid of the scanning tunneling microscopy technique. On-surface chirality manipulation includes surface confined structural chirality formation, chirality transformation, chirality separation as well as chirality elimination, by using component exchange and different external stimuli. Under this principle, host-guest supramolecular interactions, solvent induction, temperature regulation and STM-tip driven orientation control and reorientation effects under equilibrium or out-of-equilibrium conditions, towards the generation of the best-adapted chiral or achiral 2D nanostructures, are mainly described and highlighted. Future challenges and opportunities in this exciting area are also then discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinwen Huan
- Business School of Hohai University, #8 West Focheng Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210098, P. R. China
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7
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Seibel J, Verstraete L, Hirsch BE, Bragança AM, De Feyter S. Biasing Enantiomorph Formation via Geometric Confinement: Nanocorrals for Chiral Induction at the Liquid–Solid Interface. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:11565-11568. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b04992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Seibel
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lander Verstraete
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Brandon E. Hirsch
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ana M. Bragança
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Steven De Feyter
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
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8
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Bilbao N, Yu Y, Verstraete L, Lin J, Lei S, De Feyter S. The impact of grafted surface defects on the on-surface Schiff-base chemistry at the solid-liquid interface. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:9905-9908. [PMID: 30123916 DOI: 10.1039/c8cc03867h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We investigate the effect of covalently modified graphitic surfaces on the formation of single-layer covalent organic frameworks (sCOFs) at the solid-liquid interface. The impact of different densities of grafted aryl species was tested on the on-surface synthesis of three distinct imine-based 2D sCOFs. The grafted aryl species that act as defects provide steric barriers to the progress of the Schiff-base reaction, and can be locally removed to start the 2D polymer healing process. This unique strategy provides a general approach to study in situ this dynamic covalent on-surface chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Bilbao
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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9
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Goronzy DP, Ebrahimi M, Rosei F, Fang Y, De Feyter S, Tait SL, Wang C, Beton PH, Wee ATS, Weiss PS, Perepichka DF. Supramolecular Assemblies on Surfaces: Nanopatterning, Functionality, and Reactivity. ACS NANO 2018; 12:7445-7481. [PMID: 30010321 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b03513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how molecules interact to form large-scale hierarchical structures on surfaces holds promise for building designer nanoscale constructs with defined chemical and physical properties. Here, we describe early advances in this field and highlight upcoming opportunities and challenges. Both direct intermolecular interactions and those that are mediated by coordinated metal centers or substrates are discussed. These interactions can be additive, but they can also interfere with each other, leading to new assemblies in which electrical potentials vary at distances much larger than those of typical chemical interactions. Earlier spectroscopic and surface measurements have provided partial information on such interfacial effects. In the interim, scanning probe microscopies have assumed defining roles in the field of molecular organization on surfaces, delivering deeper understanding of interactions, structures, and local potentials. Self-assembly is a key strategy to form extended structures on surfaces, advancing nanolithography into the chemical dimension and providing simultaneous control at multiple scales. In parallel, the emergence of graphene and the resulting impetus to explore 2D materials have broadened the field, as surface-confined reactions of molecular building blocks provide access to such materials as 2D polymers and graphene nanoribbons. In this Review, we describe recent advances and point out promising directions that will lead to even greater and more robust capabilities to exploit designer surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic P Goronzy
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California, Los Angeles , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of California, Los Angeles , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
| | - Maryam Ebrahimi
- INRS Centre for Energy, Materials and Telecommunications , 1650 Boul. Lionel Boulet , Varennes , Quebec J3X 1S2 , Canada
| | - Federico Rosei
- INRS Centre for Energy, Materials and Telecommunications , 1650 Boul. Lionel Boulet , Varennes , Quebec J3X 1S2 , Canada
- Institute for Fundamental and Frontier Science , University of Electronic Science and Technology of China , Chengdu 610054 , P.R. China
| | - Yuan Fang
- Department of Chemistry , McGill University , Montreal H3A 0B8 , Canada
| | - Steven De Feyter
- Department of Chemistry , KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200F , Leuven 3001 , Belgium
| | - Steven L Tait
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Chen Wang
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology , Beijing 100190 , China
| | - Peter H Beton
- School of Physics & Astronomy , University of Nottingham , Nottingham NG7 2RD , United Kingdom
| | - Andrew T S Wee
- Department of Physics , National University of Singapore , 117542 Singapore
| | - Paul S Weiss
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California, Los Angeles , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of California, Los Angeles , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of California, Los Angeles , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
| | - Dmitrii F Perepichka
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California, Los Angeles , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- Department of Chemistry , McGill University , Montreal H3A 0B8 , Canada
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10
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Van Gorp H, Walke P, Bragança AM, Greenwood J, Ivasenko O, Hirsch BE, De Feyter S. Self-Assembled Polystyrene Beads for Templated Covalent Functionalization of Graphitic Substrates Using Diazonium Chemistry. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:12005-12012. [PMID: 29485850 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b18969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A network of self-assembled polystyrene beads was employed as a lithographic mask during covalent functionalization reactions on graphitic surfaces to create nanocorrals for confined molecular self-assembly studies. The beads were initially assembled into hexagonal arrays at the air-liquid interface and then transferred to the substrate surface. Subsequent electrochemical grafting reactions involving aryl diazonium molecules created covalently bound molecular units that were localized in the void space between the nanospheres. Removal of the bead template exposed hexagonally arranged circular nanocorrals separated by regions of chemisorbed molecules. Small molecule self-assembly was then investigated inside the resultant nanocorrals using scanning tunneling microscopy to highlight localized confinement effects. Overall, this work illustrates the utility of self-assembly principles to transcend length scale gaps in the development of hierarchically patterned molecular materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Van Gorp
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry , KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200F , B3001 Leuven , Belgium
| | - Peter Walke
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry , KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200F , B3001 Leuven , Belgium
| | - Ana M Bragança
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry , KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200F , B3001 Leuven , Belgium
| | - John Greenwood
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry , KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200F , B3001 Leuven , Belgium
| | - Oleksandr Ivasenko
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry , KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200F , B3001 Leuven , Belgium
| | - Brandon E Hirsch
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry , KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200F , B3001 Leuven , Belgium
| | - Steven De Feyter
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry , KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200F , B3001 Leuven , Belgium
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11
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Verstraete L, Hirsch BE, Greenwood J, De Feyter S. Confined polydiacetylene polymerization reactions for programmed length control. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 53:4207-4210. [PMID: 28287236 DOI: 10.1039/c7cc00885f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Polydiacetylene polymers of defined lengths are formed from self-assembled precursors inside nanocorrals created within grafted graphite substrates. A scanning tunneling microscope tip is used to nanoshave corrals at the liquid-solid interface allowing orientationally controlled supramolecular self-assembly of linear diacetylene molecules. Electrical pulses trigger topological one-dimensional polymerization reactions that are confined by the nanocorral template dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lander Verstraete
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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12
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Samperi M, Hirsch BE, Diaz Fernandez YA. Exploring the science of thinking independently together: Faraday Discussion Volume 204 - Complex Molecular Surfaces and Interfaces, Sheffield, UK, July 2017. Chem Commun (Camb) 2017; 53:12601-12607. [PMID: 29139496 DOI: 10.1039/c7cc90389h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The 2017 Faraday Discussion on Complex Molecular Surfaces and Interfaces brought together theoreticians and experimentalists from both physical and chemical backgrounds to discuss the relevant applied and fundamental research topics within the broader field of chemical surface analysis and characterization. Main discussion topics from the meeting included the importance of "disordered" two-dimensional (2D) molecular structures and the utility of kinetically trapped states. An emerging need for new experimental tools to address dynamics and kinetic pathways involved in self-assembled systems, as well as the future prospects and current limitations of in silico studies were also discussed. The following article provides a brief overview of the work presented and the challenges discussed during the meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Samperi
- GSK Carbon Neutral Laboratories for Sustainable Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, Triumph Road, NG7 2TU, UK.
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13
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Verstraete L, Greenwood J, Hirsch BE, De Feyter S. Self-Assembly under Confinement: Nanocorrals for Understanding Fundamentals of 2D Crystallization. ACS NANO 2016; 10:10706-10715. [PMID: 27749033 PMCID: PMC5198256 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.6b05954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Nanocorrals with different size, shape, and orientation are created on covalently modified highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surfaces using scanning probe nanolithography, i.e., nanoshaving. Alkylated diacetylene molecules undergo laterally confined supramolecular self-assembly within these corrals. When nanoshaving is performed in situ, at the liquid-solid interface, the orientation of the supramolecular lamellae structure is directionally influenced by the gradual graphite surface exposure. Careful choice of the nanoshaving direction with respect to the substrate symmetry axes promotes alignment of the supramolecular lamellae within the corral. Self-assembly occurring inside corrals of different size and shape reveals the importance of geometric and kinetic constraints controlled by the nanoshaving process. Finally, seed-mediated crystallization studies demonstrate confinement control over nucleation and growth principles.
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