Issue 4, 2018

Self-assembly of 1,3,5-benzenetribenzoic acid on Ag and Cu at the liquid/solid interface

Abstract

Assembly of 1,3,5-benzenetribenzoic acid (H3BTB) from solution on Au substrates modified by underpotential deposited Ag and Cu layers was studied by near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. Adsorption of H3BTB on Cu resulted in disordered layers with sporadic occurrence of ordered molecular aggregates. In contrast, highly ordered layers were obtained on Ag which exhibit a pronounced row structure and involve a monopodal bidentate adsorption geometry of the molecules through carboxylate coordinating bonding. The row structure arises from π-stacking of the molecules and is accompanied by hydrogen bonding interactions between the COOH groups of adjacent rows. As a consequence of the geometry of the H3BTB molecule and the dominance of intermolecular over molecule–substrate interactions, the SAM forms an open structure featuring a grooved surface and nanotunnels.

Graphical abstract: Self-assembly of 1,3,5-benzenetribenzoic acid on Ag and Cu at the liquid/solid interface

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Sep 2017
Accepted
02 Jan 2018
First published
03 Jan 2018

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2018,20, 2731-2740

Self-assembly of 1,3,5-benzenetribenzoic acid on Ag and Cu at the liquid/solid interface

H. Aitchison, H. Lu, R. Ortiz de la Morena, I. Cebula, M. Zharnikov and M. Buck, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2018, 20, 2731 DOI: 10.1039/C7CP06160A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements