Giant porphyrin disks: control of their self-assembly at liquid-solid interfaces through metal-ligand interactions.
The synthesis and self-assembly behaviour of porphyrin dodecamers 1H(2) and Zn-1, which consist of twelve porphyrins that are covalently attached to a central aromatic core, is described. According to STM, 1D and 2D NMR studies, and molecular modelling calculations, the porphyrin dodecamers have a yo-yo-shaped structure. Their large pi surface, in combination with their disk-like shape, allows them to form self-assembled structures, which in the case of Zn-1 can be tuned by adding bidentate ligands. The self-assembly of the molecules at the liquid-solid interface of 1-phenyloctane with highly oriented pyrolytic graphite or Au(111) was imaged by using STM. The porphyrin disks in the self-assembled arrays have an edge-on orientation on the surface. The addition of bidentate axial ligands to the Zn-1 molecules in the arrays allows their intermolecular distance to be precisely controlled.
Lensen
Marga C
MC
Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Elemans
Johannes A A W
JA
van Dingenen
Sandra J T
SJ
Gerritsen
Jan W
JW
Speller
Sylvia
S
Rowan
Alan E
AE
Nolte
Roeland J M
RJ