title: Switchable self-assembly of a bioinspired alkyl catechol at a solid/liquid interface: competitive interfacial, noncovalent, and solvent interactions.
abstract: The large tendency of catechol rings to adsorb on surfaces has been studied by STM experiments with molecular resolution combined with molecular-dynamics simulations. The strong adhesion is due to interactions with the surface and solvent effects. Moreover, the thermodynamic control over the differential adsorption of 1 and the nonanoic solvent molecules has been used to induce a new temperature-induced switchable interconversion. Two different phases that differ in their crystal packing and the presence of solvent molecules coexist upon an increase or decrease in the temperature. These results open new insight into the behavior of catechol molecules on surfaces and 2D molecular suprastructures.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Nanociencia y Nanotecnología (ICN-CSIC), Esfera UAB, Edificio CM7, Campus UAB, 08193, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saiz-Poseu
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Faraudo
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Figueras
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alibes
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Busqué
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Molina
mesh_terms: D002396:Catechols / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D016252:Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling / Q000379:methods*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D002396:Catechols; D012997:Solvents