Nano-architectures by covalent assembly of molecular building blocks

Abstract

The construction of electronic devices from single molecular building blocks, which possess certain functions such as switching or rectifying and are connected by atomic-scale wires on a supporting surface, is an essential goal of molecular electronics. A key challenge is the controlled assembly of molecules into desired architectures by strong, that is, covalent, intermolecular connections, enabling efficient electron transport between the molecules and providing high stability. However, no molecular networks on surfaces 'locked' by covalent interactions have been reported so far. Here, we show that such covalently bound molecular nanostructures can be formed on a gold surface upon thermal activation of porphyrin building blocks and their subsequent chemical reaction at predefined connection points. We demonstrate that the topology of these nanostructures can be precisely engineered by controlling the chemical structure of the building blocks. Our results represent a versatile route for future bottom-up construction of sophisticated electronic circuits and devices, based on individual functionalized molecules.

Two-Dimensional Molecular Patterning by Surface-Enhanced Zn-Porphyrin Coordination

“…4 Furthermore, efforts have been made to synthesize functional porphyrins, which can be physisorbed, 5 chemically grafted, 6 or connected to form 2D grids on surfaces. 7 Previous research has focused on elucidating the coordination properties of physisorbed metalloporphyrins on surfaces by using ultra high vacuum STM 8, 9 or XPS. 10 However, STM under ambient conditions (either electrochemically assisted 11 or at a liquid-solid interface) 12,13 facilitates the submolecular imaging of dynamic processes at the interface between a solution and a surface.…”

Nanorings and rods interconnected by self-assembly mimicking an artificial network of neurons

“…The latter can act as either logic gates or molecular wires for the transport of individual electrons, photons or magnetic moment in a similar way as observed for natural networks of neurons that serve as the basis for information processing and storage in the brains of living organisms [2][3][4][5][6] . However, current approaches for developing molecularly interconnected networks mainly rely on covalent chemistry 7,8 . Self-assembly as a tool to form long-range interconnected 1D-or 2D-nanostructures with tuneable optical, electrical and magnetic properties may represent a possible solution towards the mass production of molecular circuits.…”

Facile synthesis and characterizations of copper–zinc-10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl) porphyrin (Cu–ZnTPyP) coordination polymer with hexagonal micro-lump and micro-prism morphologies

“…Functional nanomaterials by means of self-assembly have become a cutting-edge research of material fabrication [1]. Infinite coordination polymers (ICPs) are considered as a unique class of inorganic-organic hybrid materials with metal centers and organic linkers [2], which is one of the important hybrid functional nanomaterials.…”