title: Chemisorption, morphology, and structure of a n-type perylene diimide derivative at the interface with gold: influence on devices from thin films to single molecules.
abstract: We have investigated thin films of a perylene diimide derivative with a cyano-functionalized core (PDI-8CN2) deposited on Au(111) single crystals from the monolayer to the multilayer regime. We found that PDI-8CN2 is chemisorbed on gold. The molecules experience a thickness-dependent reorientation, and a 2D growth mode with molecular stepped terraces is achieved adopting low deposition rates. The obtained results are discussed in terms of their impact on field effect devices, also clarifying why the use of substrate/contact treatments, decoupling PDI-8CN2 molecules from the substrate/contacts, is beneficial for such devices. Our results also suggest that perylene diimide derivatives with CN bay-functionalization are very promising candidates for single-molecule electronic devices.
authors.affiliation: CNR-SPIN and Department of Physics Science, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio, 80125 Naples (Italy).
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciccullo
authors.forename: Sabine-Antonia
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Savu
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gerbi
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Ruslan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ovsyannikov
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cassinese
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chassé
authors.forename: Maria Benedetta
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Casu
mesh_terms: D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D007094:Imides / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D036103:Nanotechnology; D009570:Nitriles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010569:Perylene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007094:Imides; D009570:Nitriles; C521332:perylenediimide; D010569:Perylene; D006046:Gold
keywords: X-ray absorption spectroscopy; chemisorption; organic electronics; surface chemistry; thin film growth