Nanostructured organic material: From molecular chains to organic nanodots

The method for nanostructuring organic molecules to create molecular chains or organic nanodots was discussed. Organic molecules were used to substitute inorganic materials in nanoscale devices and these organic materials have found optoelectronic applications such as organic transistors and organic lasers. The method was based on the use of patterned surfaces as templates for nucleation of the organic molecules. As the patterned substrate, iron-island arrays were grown on Au(111) and these metallic arrays were formed on the gold reconstructed surface. The deposited 3,4,9,10,-perylene-tetracarboxylic-dianhydride (PTCDA) molecules anchored at the iron islands forming new structures that were not observed for PTCDA adsorption on clean gold. PTCDA forms either chains of molecules connecting contiguous iron clusters, or aggregates surrounding the metallic cores. The resulting arrangement of organic dots exhibits a different density of states than the 2D self-assembled molecular monolayer.Deposition of 3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic-dianhydride on iron island arrays on Au(111) results in the formation of new nanostructures. By controlling the amount of iron deposited on the gold surface, two kinds of aggregates are obtained: molecular chains and organic nanodots (see figure). These nanostructures possess a different density of states from the two-dimensional self-assembled molecular layer.Peer Reviewe