Supramolecular organization and chiral resolution of p-terphenyl-m-dicarbonitrile on the Ag(111) surface

Chemphyschem. 2010 May 17;11(7):1446-51. doi: 10.1002/cphc.200900938.

Abstract

The supramolecular organization and layer formation of the non-linear, prochiral molecule [1, 1';4',1'']-terphenyl-3,3"-dicarbonitrile adsorbed on the Ag(111) surface is investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS). Upon two-dimensional confinement the molecules are deconvoluted in three stereoisomers, that is, two mirror-symmetric trans- and one cis-species. STM measurements reveal large and regular islands following room temperature deposition, whereby NEXAFS confirms a flat adsorption geometry with the electronic pi-system parallel to the surface plane. The ordering within the expressed supramolecular arrays reflects a substrate templating effect, steric constraints and the operation of weak lateral interactions mainly originating from the carbonitrile endgroups. High-resolution data at room temperature reveal enantiormorphic characteristics of the molecular packing schemes in different domains of the arrays, indicative of chiral resolution during the 2D molecular self-assembly process. At submonolayer coverage supramolecular islands coexist with a disordered fluid phase of highly mobile molecules. Following thermal quenching (down to 6 K) we find extended supramolecular ribbons stabilised again by attractive and directional noncovalent interactions, the formation of which reflects a chiral resolution of trans-species.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Silver / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties
  • Terphenyl Compounds / chemistry*

Substances

  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Terphenyl Compounds
  • p-terphenyl-m-dicarbonitrile
  • Silver