One-dimensional supramolecular surface structures: 1,4-diisocyanobenzene on Au(111) surfaces.

One-dimensional supramolecular structures formed by adsorbing low coverages of 1,4-diisocyanobenzene on Au(111) at room temperature are obtained and imaged by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. The structures originate from step edges or surface defects and arrange predominantly in a straight fashion on the substrate terraces along the <110> directions. They are proposed to consist of alternating units of 1,4-diisocyanobenzene molecules and gold atoms with a unit cell in registry with the substrate corresponding to four times the lattice interatomic distance. Their long 1-D chains and high thermal stability offer the potential to use them as conductors in nanoelectronic applications.