Tuning Molecular Self‐Assembly on Bulk Insulator Surfaces by Anchoring of the Organic Building Blocks |
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Authors: | Philipp Rahe Markus Kittelmann Julia L. Neff Markus Nimmrich Michael Reichling Philipp Maass Angelika Kühnle |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, 115 South 1400 East, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112‐0830, USA;2. Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Duesbergweg 10‐14, Johannes Gutenberg Universit?t Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany;3. Fachbereich Physik, Barbarastr. 7, Universit?t Osnabrück, 49076, Osnabrück, Germany |
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Abstract: | Molecular self‐assembly constitutes a versatile strategy for creating functional structures on surfaces. Tuning the subtle balance between intermolecular and molecule‐surface interactions allows structure formation to be tailored at the single‐molecule level. While metal surfaces usually exhibit interaction strengths in an energy range that favors molecular self‐assembly, dielectric surfaces having low surface energies often lack sufficient interactions with adsorbed molecules. As a consequence, application‐relevant, bulk insulating materials pose significant challenges when considering them as supporting substrates for molecular self‐assembly. Here, the current status of molecular self‐assembly on surfaces of wide‐bandgap dielectric crystals, investigated under ultrahigh vacuum conditions at room temperature, is reviewed. To address the major issues currently limiting the applicability of molecular self‐assembly principles in the case of dielectric surfaces, a systematic discussion of general strategies is provided for anchoring organic molecules to bulk insulating materials. |
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Keywords: | self‐assembly molecule‐surface interactions non‐contact atomic force microscopy molecular adsorption insulating surfaces |
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