title: Macroscopic hierarchical surface patterning of porphyrin trimers via self-assembly and dewetting.
abstract: The use of bottom-up approaches to construct patterned surfaces for technological applications is appealing, but to date is applicable to only relatively small areas (approximately 10 square micrometers). We constructed highly periodic patterns at macroscopic length scales, in the range of square millimeters, by combining self-assembly of disk-like porphyrin dyes with physical dewetting phenomena. The patterns consisted of equidistant 5-nanometer-wide lines spaced 0.5 to 1 micrometers apart, forming single porphyrin stacks containing millions of molecules, and were formed spontaneously upon drop-casting a solution of the molecules onto a mica surface. On glass, thicker lines are formed, which can be used to align liquid crystals in large domains of square millimeter size.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Hameren
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schön
authors.forename: Arend M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: van Buul
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoogboom
authors.forename: Sergiy V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Lazarenko
authors.forename: Jan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Gerritsen
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Engelkamp
authors.forename: Peter C M
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Christianen
authors.forename: Hans A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Heus
authors.forename: Jan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Maan
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rasing
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Speller
authors.forename: Alan E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Rowan
authors.forename: Johannes A A W
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Elemans
authors.forename: Roeland J M
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Nolte