(Invited) Covalent and Supramolecular Multicomponent Porphyrinoid-Carbon Nanostructure Ensembles

Abstract

Herein, a novel electron donor-acceptor hybrid consisting of a NIR absorbing azulenocyanine as electron donor and few-layer graphene as electron acceptor was prepared. The extended aromatic core of azulenocyanine assist in the exfoliation of graphite and allows formation of a very high-quality few-layer graphene azulenocyanine hybrid system. The development of new chromophoric receptors able to bind curved carbon nanostructures is at the epicenter of the quest for fullerene-based organic photovoltaics with improved performances. Herein, a subphthalocyanine-based multicomponent ensemble consisting of two electron-rich SubPc-monomers rigidly attached to the convex surface of a electron-poor SubPc-dimer has been synthesized and characterized. Such a unique conformation, especialy in terms of the two SubPc-monomers, together with the overall stiffness of the tether endows the multicomponent system with a well-defined tweezer-like topology to efficiently embrace a fullerene in its inner cavity. The selective on-surface synthesis of a porphyrin-graphene nanoribbon hybrid has been accomplished. The atomically precise structure of the hybrid has been unambiguously characterized by bond-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy and noncontact atomic force microscopy.