Growth kinetics of racemic heptahelicene-2-carboxylic acid nanowires on calcite (104)

Abstract

Molecular self-assembly of racemic heptahelicene-2-carboxylic acid on a dielectric substrate at room temperature can be used to generate wire-like organic nanostructures consisting of single and double molecular rows. By means of non-contact atomic force microscopy, we investigate the growth of the wire-like pattern after deposition by experimental and theoretical means. From analyzing the time dependence of the mean row length, two distinct regimes were found. At the early post-deposition stage, the mean length grows in time. Subsequently, a crossover to a second regime is observed, where the mean row length remains nearly constant. We explain these findings by a mean-field rate equation approach providing a comprehensive picture of the growth kinetics. As a result, we demonstrate that the crossover between the two distinct regimes is accomplished by vanishing of the homochiral single rows. At later stages only heterochiral double row structures remain.

Self-assembly of 1,3,5-benzenetribenzoic acid on Ag and Cu at the liquid/solid interface

“…11,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Recently, the range of substrates has been extended to dielectrics. [31][32][33][34][35] and various two-dimensional (2D) materials. [36][37][38] Like for other molecular assemblies at surfaces, the balance between molecule-substrate and intermolecular interactions is a central aspect in the design of carboxylic acid based structures.…”