2D self-assembly of phenylene-vinylene tectons at the liquid-highly oriented pyrolytic graphite interface: from chain length effects to anisotropic guest-host dynamics

Nanotechnology. 2017 Jan 13;28(2):025602. doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/28/2/025602. Epub 2016 Dec 6.

Abstract

Here we report the synthesis and characterization of a series of new phenylene-vinylene tectons. The study by scanning tunneling microscopy of their supramolecular self-assembly at the interface between a phenyloctane solution and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite demonstrates that variation of concentration and length of alkyl chains led to the formation of different networks, a compact one and a nanoporous one, with a fine control of the lattice parameters. The study of guest-host properties of the nanoporous network revealed a selectivity toward guest compounds according to their shape and size. Moreover, the statistical analysis of pore-to-pore guest dynamics evidences an anisotropic diffusion process.