Deciphering the factors influencing electric field mediated polymerization and depolymerization at the solution-solid interface.

Strong and oriented electric fields are known to influence structure as well as reactivity. The strong electric field (EF) between the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and graphite has been used to modulate two-dimensional (2D) polymerization of aryl boronic acids where switching the polarity of the substrate bias enabled reversible transition between self-assembled molecular networks of monomers and crystalline 2D polymer (2DP) domains. Here, we untangle the different factors influencing the EF-mediated (de)polymerization of a boroxine-based 2DP on graphite.

Rational Design of 2D Supramolecular Networks Switchable by External Electric Fields.

The reversible formation of hydrogen bonds is a ubiquitous mechanism for controlling molecular assembly in biological systems. However, achieving predictable reversibility in artificial two-dimensional (2D) materials remains a significant challenge. Here, we use an external electric field (EEF) at the solid/liquid interface to trigger the switching of H-bond-linked 2D networks using a scanning tunneling microscope.

Curved graphene nanoribbons derived from tetrahydropyrene-based polyphenylenes one-pot K-region oxidation and Scholl cyclization.

Precise synthesis of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) is of great interest to chemists and materials scientists because of their unique opto-electronic properties and potential applications in carbon-based nanoelectronics and spintronics. In addition to the tunable edge structure and width, introducing curvature in GNRs is a powerful structural feature for their chemi-physical property modification. Here, we report an efficient solution synthesis of the first pyrene-based GNR (PyGNR) with curved geometry one-pot K-region oxidation and Scholl cyclization of its corresponding well-soluble tetrahydropyrene-based polyphenylene precursor.

Direct C-H Arylation of Dithiophene-Tetrathiafulvalene: Tuneable Electronic Properties and 2D Self-Assembled Molecular Networks at the Solid/Liquid Interface.

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Manuel Souto and co-workers at the University of Aveiro and CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials. The image depicts the direct C-H arylation of dithiophene-tetrathiafulvalene (DT-TTF) and the self-assembly of DT-TTF-tetrabenzoic acid studied by using scanning tunnelling microscopy. Read the full text of the article at 10.

Direct C-H Arylation of Dithiophene-Tetrathiafulvalene: Tuneable Electronic Properties and 2D Self-Assembled Molecular Networks at the Solid/Liquid Interface.

Tetrathiafulvalene is among the best known building blocks in molecular electronics due to its outstanding electron-donating and redox properties. Among its derivatives, dithiophene-tetrathiafulvalene (DT-TTF) has attracted considerable interest in organic electronics, owing to its high field-effect mobility. Herein, we report the direct C-H arylation of DT-TTF to synthesise mono- and tetraarylated derivatives functionalised with electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups in order to evaluate their influence on the electronic properties by cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis spectroscopy and theoretical calculations.

Comparative Study of the Adsorption of Thiols and Selenols on Au(111) and Au(100).

The effect of the Au crystalline plane on the adsorption of different thiols and selenols is studied via reductive desorption (RD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) using aliphatic (ATs) and aromatic thiols (ArTs) on both Au(111) and Au(100) were prepared. The electrochemical stability of these SAMs on both surfaces is evaluated by comparing the position of the RD peaks.

A pH-Sensitive Supramolecular Switch Based on Mixed Carboxylic Acid Terminated Self-Assembled Monolayers on Au(111).

We show that homogeneously mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of mercaptoalkanoic acids of different chain lengths can be used to build up a pH-sensitive supramolecular switch. The acids with short and long alkyl chains interact via the strong hydrogen bond between carboxylic acid groups. The pH acts as a trigger by breaking or restoring the hydrogen bond interaction in basic or acidic solutions, respectively.