Steering molecular organization and host-guest interactions using two-dimensional nanoporous coordination systems.
Metal-organic coordination networks (MOCNs) have attracted wide interest because they provide a novel route towards porous materials that may find applications in molecular recognition, catalysis, gas storage and separation. The so-called rational design principle-synthesis of materials with predictable structures and properties-has been explored using appropriate organic molecular linkers connecting to metal nodes to control pore size and functionality of open coordination networks. Here we demonstrate the fabrication of surface-supported MOCNs comprising tailored pore sizes and chemical functionality by the modular assembly of polytopic organic carboxylate linker molecules and iron atoms on a Cu(100) surface under ultra-high-vacuum conditions. These arrays provide versatile templates for the handling and organization of functional species at the nanoscale, as is demonstrated by their use to accommodate C(60) guest molecules. Temperature-controlled studies reveal, at the single-molecule level, how pore size and chemical functionality determine the host-guest interactions.
Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
Sebastian
S
Stepanow
Magalí
M
Lingenfelder
Alexandre
A
Dmitriev
Hannes
H
Spillmann
Erik
E
Delvigne
Nian
N
Lin
Xiaobin
X
Deng
Chengzhi
C
Cai
Johannes V
JV
Barth
Klaus
K
Kern
D000327:Adsorption; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D002625:Chemistry, Organic / Q000379:methods*; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D036103:Nanotechnology; D013696:Temperature
D008670:Metals; D002244:Carbon; D007501:Iron