title: Giant porphyrin disks: control of their self-assembly at liquid-solid interfaces through metal-ligand interactions.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marga C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lensen
authors.forename: Johannes A A W
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Elemans
authors.forename: Sandra J T
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: van Dingenen
authors.forename: Jan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Gerritsen
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Speller
authors.forename: Alan E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Rowan
authors.forename: Roeland J M
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Nolte