The self-assembly of organic molecules on surfaces is a potential driving force for the creation of bottom-up bidimensional (2D) nanostructures. The resulting self-assembled molecular networks (SAMNs) exhibit appealing properties that can be tailored by properly tuning the features of the single molecules, as well as the interactions governing their self-assembly.Here, we describe a detailed scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) study of the self-organization of halogen-terminated molecules at the solution/solid interface. In ambient conditions these molecules form stable organized arrangements, with intermolecular halogen bonding as the main stabilizing force. By changing the halogen terminations and the kind of substrate onto which these molecules assemble, interesting insights into the energetic of the system can be obtained. We will present data obtained from Br- and I- terminations of a threefold symmetric molecule that self-assembles on both graphite and Au(111) surfaces, considering the effects of different substituents on the molecular arrangement within the SAMN. Furthermore, the surface symmetry can induce different phases or domains if energetically degenerate configurations are allowed.A deep understanding of the formation of such organized molecular layers is an essential step towards the future incorporation of these molecular materials into devices. Although SAMNs can be stabilized by other weak forces, e.g. van der Waals or hydrogenbonding, halogen bound 2D structures are interesting thanks to the peculiar double polarisation of the carbon-halogen (C-X) bond, which allows the formation of geometrical stable structures with the halogen termination participating in more than one interaction.

STM study of halogen bonded self-assembled supramolecular structures at the solution/solid interface

247th National Meeting (2014)

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