C60-pentacene network formation by 2-D co-crystallization

Langmuir. 2009 Sep 1;25(17):9857-62. doi: 10.1021/la900968d.

Abstract

We report experiments highlighting the mechanistic role of mobile pentacene precursors in the formation of a network C(60)-pentacene co-crystalline structure on Ag(111). This co-crystalline arrangement was first observed by low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) by Zhang et al. (Zhang, H. L.; Chen, W.; Huang, H.; Chen, L.; Wee, A. T. S. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 2720-2721). We now show that this structure forms readily at room temperature from a two-dimensional (2-D) mixture. Pentacene, evaporated onto Ag(111) to coverages of 0.4-1.0 ML, produces a two-dimensional (2-D) gas. Subsequently deposited C(60) molecules combine with the pentacene 2-D gas to generate a network structure, consisting of chains of close-packed C(60) molecules, spaced by individual C(60) linkers and 1 nm x 2.5 nm pores containing individual pentacene molecules. Spontaneous formation of this stoichiometric (C(60))(4)-pentacene network from a range of excess pentacene surface coverage (0.4 to 1.0 ML) indicates a self-limiting assembly process. We refine the structure model for this phase and discuss the generality of this co-crystallization mechanism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Crystallization
  • Diffusion
  • Fullerenes / chemistry*
  • Gases
  • Microscopy / methods
  • Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling / methods
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Molecular Structure
  • Particle Size
  • Silver / chemistry
  • Surface Properties
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Fullerenes
  • Gases
  • Silver
  • fullerene C60