Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200 F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
ACS Nano. 2013 Sep 24;7(9):8031-42. doi: 10.1021/nn4032036. Epub 2013 Aug 28.
Supramolecular self-assembly of suitably functionalized building blocks on surfaces can serve as an excellent test-bed to gain understanding and control over multicomponent self-assembly in more complex matter. Here we employ a powerful combination of scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and molecular modeling to uncover two-dimensional (2D) crystallization and mixing behavior of a series of alkylated building blocks based on dehydrobenzo[12]annulene, forming arrays of nanowells. Thorough STM investigation employing high-resolution spatial imaging, use of specially designed marker molecules, statistical analysis and thermal stability measurements revealed rich and complex supramolecular chemistry, highlighting the impact of odd-even effects on the phase behavior. The methodology and analysis presented in this work can be easily adapted to the self-assembly of other alkylated building blocks.
表面上功能化构建块的超分子自组装可以作为一个极好的试验台，以加深对更复杂物质中多组分自组装的理解和控制。在这里，我们采用扫描隧道显微镜 (STM) 和分子建模的强大组合，揭示了一系列基于去氢苯并[12]轮烯的烷基化构建块的二维 (2D) 结晶和混合行为，形成纳米阱阵列。通过使用高分辨率空间成像、专门设计的标记分子、统计分析和热稳定性测量的深入 STM 研究，揭示了丰富而复杂的超分子化学，突出了奇偶效应对相行为的影响。本文提出的方法和分析可以很容易地适应其他烷基化构建块的自组装。
