Self-directed chain reaction by small ketones with the dangling bond site on the Si(100)-(2 x 1)-H surface: acetophenone, a unique example.

Using scanning tunneling microscope (STM) at 300 K, we studied the growth of one-dimensional molecular assemblies (molecular lines) on the Si(100)-(2 x 1)-H surface through the chain reaction of small ketone (CH 3COCH 3, PhCOPh, and PhCOCH 3) molecules with dangling bond (DB) sites of the substrate. Acetone and benzophenone show the growth of molecular lines exclusively parallel to the dimer row direction. In contrast, acetophenone molecules show some molecular lines perpendicular, in addition to parallel, to the dimer row direction. Most of the molecular lines perpendicular to the dimer row direction were grown by self-turning the propagation direction of a chain reaction from parallel to perpendicular directions relative to the dimer row. A chiral center created upon adsorption of an acetophenone molecule allows the adsorbed molecules to align with identical as well as alternate enantiomeric forms along the dimer row direction, whereas such variations in molecular arrangement are not observed in the case of acetone and benzophenone molecules. The observed molecular lines growth both parallel and perpendicular to dimer row directions appears to be unique to acetophenone among all the molecules studied to date. Hence, the present study opens new possibility for fabricating one-dimensional molecular assemblies of various compositions in both high-symmetry directions on the Si(100)-(2 x 1)-H surface.