Two-Dimensional Crystal Growth and Stacking of Bis(phthalocyaninato) Rare Earth Sandwich Complexes at the 1-Phenyloctane/Graphite Interface

Abstract

Initial stages of two-dimensional crystal growth of the double-decker sandwich complex Lu(Pc*)2 [Pc* = 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis(octyloxy)phthalocyaninato] have been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy at the liquid/solid interface between 1-phenyloctane and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. High-resolution images strongly suggest alignment of the double-decker molecules into monolayers with the phthalocyanine rings parallel to the surface. Domains were observed with either hexagonal or quadrate packing motifs, and the growing interface of the layer was imaged. Molecular resolution was achieved, and the face of the phthalocyanine rings appeared as somewhat diffuse circular features. The alkyl chains are proposed to be interdigitating to maintain planar side-by-side packing.

Towards Supramolecular Engineering of Functional Nanomaterials: Pre‐Programming Multi‐Component 2D Self‐Assembly at Solid‐Liquid Interfaces

“…Visualization of such covalently linked double‐decker molecules extending into the third dimension was pioneered by Rabe and co‐workers on HBC double‐deckers 69. This strategy was later applied with double‐deckers made from phtalocyanines complexes 70–72. These complex modules have been chosen since phtalocyanines are known to feature long‐range order in 2D monolayers,73 which can be then used as playground to control the position of such 3D architectures.…”

Advances in supramolecularly assembled nanostructures of fullerenes and porphyrins at surfaces

“…In recent years, adlayers of several sandwich compounds such as the bisphthalocyanine double-decker complexes of Y, Ce, Pr La, and Er, have been investigated at the liquidsolid interface (mainly on HOPG in 1-phenyloctance) [101][102][103][104][105][106][107]. Possible future applications for these rare earth complexes include their use as organic fieldeffect transistors, liquid crystals, chemical sensors [108] and especially, molecular memory of surfaces, as has been proposed by Lindsey and coworkers [109].…”

Bis(phthalocyaninato)yttrium grown on Au(111): Electronic structure of a single molecule and the stability of two-dimensional films investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy at 4.8 K

“…The main reason for this is the thermal instability of these materials during the evaporation process [20][21][22]. Recently, a single molecule magnet (SMM) of TbPc 2 was successfully prepared on Cu(111), and its spin density was investigated by STM/STS [23].…”