First self-assembly study of large π-conjugated corrole dimers on solid substrates

Our study focus on β,β′-doubly linked corrole dimers (CDs) on mica and Au(1 1 1) surface using samples prepared by the synthetic method described by Osuka group appeared on recent publication [S. Hiroto, K. Furukawa, H. Shinokubo, A. Osuka, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128 (2006) 12380]. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) were used to investigate the self-assembled structure of corrole dimers adsorbed on mica and Au(1 1 1) surfaces respectively at room temperature in air. The CDs adopt a dissimilar adsorption modality due to the different surface free energy of the different substrates. These types of molecular layers provide a useful platform for the study of surface and interface phenomena outside a vacuum system. It is potentially useful for practical fabrication of molecular devices because of the simplicity of the sample preparation and the stability of the interface in ambient conditions.