Isolated supramolecules on surfaces studied with scanning tunneling microscopy

To date, supramolecular chemistry is an ever growing research field owing to its crucial role in molecular catalysis, recognition, medicine, data storage and processing as well as artificial photosynthetic devices. Different isolated supramolecules were prepared by molecular self-assembly on surfaces. This review mainly focuses on supramolecular aggregations on noble metal surfaces studied by scanning tunneling microscopy, including dimers, trimers, tetramers, pentamers, wire-like assemblies and Sierpiński triangular fractals. The variety of self-assembled structures reflects the subtle balance between intermolecular and molecule–substrate interactions, which to some extent may be controlled by molecules, substrates and the molecular coverage. The comparative study of different architectures helps identifying the operative mechanisms that lead to the structural motifs. The application of these mechanisms may lead to novel assemblies with tailored physicochemical properties.

Graphical abstractThis review compares a variety of isolated supramolecular architectures on noble metal surfaces studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. Assemblies as diverse as dimers, trimers, tetramers, pentamers, as well as wire-like structures and Sierpiński triangular fractals on Au(111) and Ag(111) are presented.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide