Surface-confined single molecules: assembly and disassembly of nanosize coordination cages on gold (111).
A cavitand functionalized with four alkylthioether groups at the lower rim, and four tolylpyridine groups on the upper rim is able to bind to a gold surface by its thioether groups, and forms a coordination cage with [Pd(dppp)(CF(3)SO(3))(2)] by its pyridine groups. The cavitand or the cage complex can be inserted from solution into a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 11-mercaptoundecanol on gold. The inserted molecules can be individually detected as they protrude from the SAM by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The cages can be reversibly assembled and disassembled on the gold surface. AFM can distinguish between single cavitand and cage molecules of 2.5 nm and 5.8 nm height, respectively.
Menozzi
Edoardo
E
Dipartimento di Chimica Organica ed Industriale and Unità INSTM, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43100 Parma, Italy.
Pinalli
Roberta
R
Speets
Emiel A
EA
Ravoo
Bart Jan
BJ
Dalcanale
Enrico
E
Reinhoudt
David N
DN