SL 18

SURFACE-MEDIATED BONDING FOR RATIONAL DESIGN OF MULTISCALE MOLECULAR SELF-ASSEMBLIES

D. Bléger^a, D. Kreher^a, F. Mathevet^a, and A.-J. Attias^a*, G. Schull^b, L. Douillard^b, C. Fiorini-Debuisschert^b, F. Charra^b*

^a Laboratoire de Chimie Macromoléculaire, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 4 Place Jussieu, F-75252, Paris Cedex 05, France (kreher@ccr.jussieu.fr)

^b Service de Physique et Chimie des Surfaces et Interfaces, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Centre de Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France

In order to create surface patterns, extended p-conjugated systems have found particularly wide use because they tend to bond in a flat-lying geometry, which allows functional groups at the molecule periphery to approach each other easily and to engage into non-covalent interactions, predominantly hydrogen bonds [1]. In this work, following our previous results where we realized controlled 2D molecular sieves and studied by STM the dynamics of guest molecules [2,3], we developed an original approach based on a new molecular unit designed both in order to act as a functional group used as a 'clip' between neighbouring molecules, and to pattern 2D supra-molecular architectures into specific arrangements. More precisely, we present here first the design and the synthesis of this 'clip', specifically designed to ensure the recognition, mediated by the surface, of two 'functions'. In a second stage, by synthesizing different molecules incorporating one, two, and three 'clips', and using these compounds as mono- di- and trifunctional derivatives we obtained tunable dimeric organizations, polymeric-like topologies such as cyclic oligomers, linear chains as well as networks leading to controlled 2D molecular sieves.

Figure. Molecular structures of molecules I, II, and III (A-C), anticipated self-assembly schemes (D-E) and obtained STM images (G-I).

[1] J.V. Barth & Coll., Nature, 2005, 437, 671. [2] Schull, L. Douillard, C. Fiorini-Debuisschert, F. Charra, F. Mathevet, D. Kreher and A.-J. Attias, Nanolett., 2006, 6, 1360. [3] Schull, L. Douillard, C. Fiorini-Debuisschert, F. Charra, F. Mathevet, D. Kreher and A.-J. Attias, Adv. Mat., 2006, 18, 2954.