title: Generating long supramolecular pathways with a continuous density of states by physically linking conjugated molecules via their end groups.
abstract: Self-assembly of conjugated 2,5-dialkoxy-phenylene-thienylene-based oligomers on epitaxial monolayer graphene was studied in ultrahigh vacuum by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The formation of long one-dimensional (1D) supramolecular chain-like structures has been observed, associated to a physical linking of their ends which involved the rotation of the end thiophene rings in order to allow π-π stacking of these end-groups. dI/dV maps taken at an energy corresponding to the excited states showed a continuous electronic density of states, which tentatively suggests that within such molecular chains conjugation of electrons is preserved even across physically linked molecules. Thus, in a self-organization process conjugation may be extended by appropriately adapting conformations of neighboring molecules. Our STM results on such self-organized end-linked molecules potentially represent a direct visualization of J-aggregates.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Sciences des Matériaux de Mulhouse IS2M, LRC 7228-CNRS-UHA, 4 rue des frères Lumière, 68093 Mulhouse, France.
authors.forename: Roozbeh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shokri
authors.forename: Marie-Agnés
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lacour
authors.forename: Thibaut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jarrosson
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lère-Porte
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Serein-Spirau
authors.forename: Karinne
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miqueu
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sotiropoulos
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vonau
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aubel
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cranney
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Simon