Depositing Molecular Graphene Nanoribbons on Ag(111) by Electrospray Controlled Ion Beam Deposition: Self-Assembly and On-Surface Transformations

Abstract

The chemical processing of low-dimensional carbon nanostructures is crucial for their integration in future devices. Here we apply a new methodology in atomically precise engineering by combining multistep solution synthesis of N-doped molecular graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with mass-selected ultra-high vacuum electrospray controlled ion beam deposition on surfaces and real-space visualisation by scanning tunnelling microscopy. We demonstrate how this method yields solely a controllable amount of single, otherwise unsublimable, GNRs of 2.9 nm length on a planar Ag(111) surface. This methodology allows for further processing by employing on-surface synthesis protocols and exploiting the reactivity of the substrate. Following multiple chemical transformations, the GNRs provide reactive building blocks to form extended, metal-organic coordination polymers.

Keywords: Electrospray Deposition; Graphene Nanoribbons; On-Surface Synthesis; Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy; Ultra-High Vacuum.