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Complex supramolecular interfacial tessellation through convergent multi-step reaction of a dissymmetric simple organic precursor

Nature Chemistry volume 10, pages 296–304 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Interfacial supramolecular self-assembly represents a powerful tool for constructing regular and quasicrystalline materials. In particular, complex two-dimensional molecular tessellations, such as semi-regular Archimedean tilings with regular polygons, promise unique properties related to their nontrivial structures. However, their formation is challenging, because current methods are largely limited to the direct assembly of precursors, that is, where structure formation relies on molecular interactions without using chemical transformations. Here, we have chosen ethynyl-iodophenanthrene (which features dissymmetry in both geometry and reactivity) as a single starting precursor to generate the rare semi-regular (3.4.6.4) Archimedean tiling with long-range order on an atomically flat substrate through a multi-step reaction. Intriguingly, the individual chemical transformations converge to form a symmetric alkynyl–Ag–alkynyl complex as the new tecton in high yields. Using a combination of microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy tools, as well as computational modelling, we show that in situ generated catalytic Ag complexes mediate the tecton conversion.

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Figure 1: Supramolecular (3.4.6.4) AT formation through interfacial chemical conversion of primary tectons by a convergent reaction scheme.
Figure 2: STM overview of two different AT phases and irregular molecular arrangements on Ag(111).
Figure 3: AT (3.4.6.4) geometry and molecular-level expression.
Figure 4: XPS and NEXAFS characterization of chemical species occurring during the convergent reaction pathway.
Figure 5: Real-space characterization of temperature-dependent molecular species and cluster arrangements.
Figure 6: Proposed convergent multi-step reaction pathway.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge funding by the German Research Foundation (DFG) Excellence Cluster Munich Center for Advanced Photonics, DFG project KL 2294/3–1 and ERC Advanced Grant MolArt (no. 247299). M.R. acknowledges support by the DFG-priority programs 1459, TR88 ‘3Met’ and the KNMF facility (KIT, Germany). The authors thank the Helmholtz–Zentrum Berlin–Electron storage ring BESSY II for provision of synchrotron radiation at beamline HE-SGM and thank C. Wöll and A. Nefedov for providing access to the HE-SGM end station.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physik-Department E20, Technische Universität München, Garching, 85748, Germany

    Yi-Qi Zhang, Mateusz Paszkiewicz, Liding Zhang, Tao Lin, Johannes V. Barth & Florian Klappenberger

  2. Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, 76344, Germany

    Ping Du, Zhi Chen, Svetlana Klyatskaya & Mario Ruben

  3. IPCMS-CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 rue de Loess, Strasbourg, 67034, France

    Mario Ruben

  4. Département de Chimie, École Normale Supérieure, 24 rue Lhomond, Paris, F-75005, France

    Ari P. Seitsonen

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Contributions

Y.-Q.Z., J.V.B. and F.K. conceived the experiments. Y.-Q.Z., L.Z. and T.L. performed the STM measurements and analysed the data. Y.-Q.Z., M.P., L.Z., T.L. and F.K. performed the spectroscopy experiments and analysed the data. A.P.S. carried out the DFT calculations. P.D., Z.C., S.K. and M.R. developed the synthesis of the molecules used. Y.-Q.Z., A.P.S., M.R., J.V.B. and F.K. co-wrote the paper. All authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yi-Qi Zhang, Mario Ruben, Johannes V. Barth or Florian Klappenberger.

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Zhang, YQ., Paszkiewicz, M., Du, P. et al. Complex supramolecular interfacial tessellation through convergent multi-step reaction of a dissymmetric simple organic precursor. Nature Chem 10, 296–304 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2924

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