Study of the Edge-on Self-Assembly of Axially Substituted Silicon(IV) Phthalocyanine Derivatives in a Template on the HOPG Surface.

Molecular conformation is an important issue related to the self-assembly architecture and property. The self-assembly of silicon(IV) phthalocyanines covalently linked to the 5-N-cytidine or 4-carboxyphenoxy moiety at the axial positions, namely, SiPc(NC)2 and SiPc(CP)2, respectively, has been studied by means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at the solid-liquid interface. The intermolecular axial hydrogen bonding in combination with the stabilizing role of the TCDB template brings about supramolecular self-assembled structures of silicon(IV) phthalocyanines in an edge-on orientation. Two pyridine compounds, 4,4'-bipyridine (BPY) and 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene (DPE), can tune the supramolecular structure, leading to interestingly axial self-assemblies of SiPc(CP)2 with BPY and DPE in an edge-on manner by hydrogen bonding. The results indicate that the axial substituents and the axial ligands can regulate and precisely control the conformation and arrangement of the phthalocyanine moiety on the graphite surface.