Stepwise self-assembly of C60 mediated by atomic scale moiré magnifiers
Journal
Nature Communications
Journal Volume
4
ISSN
20411723
Date Issued
2013
Author(s)
Gruznev, D.V.
Matetskiy, A.V.
Bondarenko, L.V.
Utas, O.A.
Zotov, A.V.
Saranin, A.A.
Wei, C.M.
Lai, M.Y.
Wang, Y.L.
Abstract
Self-assembly of atoms or molecules on a crystal surface is considered one of the most promising methods to create molecular devices. Here we report a stepwise self-assembly of C60 molecules into islands with unusual shapes and preferred sizes on a gold-indium-covered Si(111) surface. Specifically, 19-mer islands prefer a non-compact boomerang shape, whereas hexagonal 37-mer islands exhibit extraordinarily enhanced stability and abundance. The stepwise self-assembly is mediated by the moiré interference between an island with its underlying lattice, which essentially maps out the adsorption-energy landscape of a C60 on different positions of the surface with a lateral magnification factor and dictates the probability for the subsequent attachment of C60 to an island's periphery. Our discovery suggests a new method for exploiting the moiré interference to dynamically assist the self-assembly of particles and provides an unexplored tactic of engineering atomic scale moiré magnifiers to facilitate the growth of monodispersed mesoscopic structures. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.
SDGs
Description
Article number 1679
Type
journal article