13-cis-Retinoic acid on coinage metals: hierarchical self-assembly and spin generation?

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics Pub Date: 2017-05-22 DOI: 10.1039/C7CP01568B

Abstract

Hierarchical self-assembly of 13-cis-retinoic acid on Au(111) and Ag(111) was investigated using low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy. On both surfaces, molecules form dimers by hydrogen bonds and the dimers arrange into ordered two-dimensional arrays through van der Waals forces. Three packing modes are observed on Au(111) and only one on Ag(111). We tentatively attribute the different patterns on the two surfaces to a stronger molecule–substrate interaction on Ag(111) and site-dependent molecular adsorption on different atomic lattices. In addition, 13-cis-ReA on Au(111) can be made to carry a localized spin.

Graphical abstract: 13-cis-Retinoic acid on coinage metals: hierarchical self-assembly and spin generation
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