title: Multicomponent self-assembly with a shape-persistent N-heterotriangulene macrocycle on Au(111).
abstract: Multicomponent network formation by using a shape-persistent macrocycle (MC6) at the interface between an organic liquid and Au(111) surface is demonstrated. MC6 serves as a versatile building block that can be coadsorbed with a variety of organic molecules based on different types of noncovalent interactions at the liquid-solid interface. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) reveals the formation of crystalline bicomponent networks upon codeposition of MC6 with aromatic molecules, such as fullerene (C60) and coronene. Tetracyanoquinodimethane, on the other hand, was found to induce disorder into the MC6 networks by adsorbing on the rim of the macrocycle. Immobilization of MC6 itself was studied in two different noncovalently assembled host networks. MC6 assumed a rather passive role as a guest and simply occupied the host cavities in one network, whereas it induced a structural transition in the other. Finally, the central cavity of MC6 was used to capture C60 in a complex three-component system. Precise immobilization of organic molecules at discrete locations within multicomponent networks, as demonstrated here, constitutes an important step towards bottom-up fabrication of functional surface-based nanostructures.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001 Leuven (Belgium).
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schlütter
authors.forename: Oleksandr
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ivasenko
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kivala
authors.forename: Matthias G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.forename: Shern-Long
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Stijn F L
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Mertens
authors.forename: Kazukuni
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tahara
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tobe
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Müllen
authors.forename: Kunal S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Mali
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Feyter
keywords: host-guest systems; macrocycles; scanning probe microscopy; self-assembly; surface analysis