title: Deformation of a "rigid" molecule in self-assembled nanostructures.
abstract: A simple spirobifluorene molecule with pseudotetrahedral structure was investigated for its supposed conformational resilience upon adsorption. Through deposition at room temperature of this molecule on a Cu(111) surface and subsequent observation at 5 K with an ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscope, this "rigidity" upon physisorption is confirmed. However, an unexpected chemisorbed state was also found with the molecules arranged in trimers. The unique coexistence of physisorbed and chemisorbed states on the same substrate is thus demonstrated at the early stage of self-assembly.
authors.affiliation: Groupe Matériaux Cristallins sous Contrainte, Centre d'Elaboration de Matériaux et d'Etudes Structurales, CNRS 29 rue J. Marvig, BP 4347, F-31055 Toulouse, France. tang@cemes.fr
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coudret
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maroutian
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berndt