TY - JOUR
T1 - Unexpected Rotamerism at the Origin of a Chessboard Supramolecular Assembly of Ruthenium Phthalocyanine
AU - Mattioli, Giuseppe
AU - Larciprete, Rosanna
AU - Alippi, Paola
AU - Bonapasta, Aldo Amore
AU - Filippone, Francesco
AU - Lacovig, Paolo
AU - Lizzit, Silvano
AU - Paoletti, Anna Maria
AU - Pennesi, Giovanna
AU - Ronci, Fabio
AU - Zanotti, Gloria
AU - Colonna, Stefano
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
PY - 2017/11/16
Y1 - 2017/11/16
N2 - We have investigated the formation and the properties of ultrathin films of ruthenium phthalocyanine (RuPc)2 vacuum deposited on graphite by scanning tunneling microscopy and synchrotron photoemission spectroscopy measurements, interpreted in close conjunction with ab initio simulations. Thanks to its unique dimeric structure connected by a direct Ru−Ru bond, (RuPc)2 can be found in two stable rotameric forms separated by a low-energy barrier. Such isomerism leads to a peculiar organization of the molecules in flat, horizontal layers on the graphite surface, characterized by a chessboard-like alternation of the two rotamers. Moreover, the molecules are vertically connected to form π-stacked columnar pillars of akin rotamers, compatible with the high conductivity measured in (RuPc)2 powders. Such features yield an unprecedented supramolecular assembly of phthalocyanine films, which could open interesting perspectives toward the realization of new architectures of organic electronic devices.
AB - We have investigated the formation and the properties of ultrathin films of ruthenium phthalocyanine (RuPc)2 vacuum deposited on graphite by scanning tunneling microscopy and synchrotron photoemission spectroscopy measurements, interpreted in close conjunction with ab initio simulations. Thanks to its unique dimeric structure connected by a direct Ru−Ru bond, (RuPc)2 can be found in two stable rotameric forms separated by a low-energy barrier. Such isomerism leads to a peculiar organization of the molecules in flat, horizontal layers on the graphite surface, characterized by a chessboard-like alternation of the two rotamers. Moreover, the molecules are vertically connected to form π-stacked columnar pillars of akin rotamers, compatible with the high conductivity measured in (RuPc)2 powders. Such features yield an unprecedented supramolecular assembly of phthalocyanine films, which could open interesting perspectives toward the realization of new architectures of organic electronic devices.
KW - ab initio simulations
KW - organic electronic devices
KW - photoemission spectroscopy
KW - ruthenium metal-organic molecules
KW - scanning probe microscopy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85032813589&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/chem.201703255
DO - 10.1002/chem.201703255
M3 - Article
C2 - 28833789
AN - SCOPUS:85032813589
SN - 0947-6539
VL - 23
SP - 16319
EP - 16327
JO - Chemistry - A European Journal
JF - Chemistry - A European Journal
IS - 64
ER -