"Magic" surface clustering of borazines driven by repulsive intermolecular forces

Abstract

It's a kind of magic: Hydroxy pentaaryl borazine molecules self-assemble into small clusters (see structure) on Cu(111) surfaces, whereas with symmetric hexaaryl borazine molecules large islands are obtained. Simulations indicate that the observed "magic" cluster sizes result from long-range repulsive Coulomb forces arising from the deprotonation of the B-OH groups of the hydroxy pentaaryl borazine.

Keywords: borazine; scanning tunneling microscopy; self-assembly; supramolecular chemistry.