Tunable arrays of C60 molecular chains

Abstract

Tunable self-assembled superstructures of C60 linear chains on the α-sexithiophene (6T) molecular surface nanotemplate on Ag(II) was fabricated through the control of the self-ordering of the C60:6T binary molecular system. The molecular resolved STM image indicate that the C60 rail-like chains comprise C60 single rows that are intercalated with bright rod-like molecules. The C60-C60 distance in the C60-pair chains is found to be about 1.84 nm and that between neighboring chains is about 2.28 nm. The results also show that the C60 molecules nucleate at the elbow sites of the 6T herringbones to form the C60 single-chain arrays. C60 single-chain arrays being thermal stable with long-range order, can serve as surface nanotemplate to accommodate other molecules to form well-ordered molecular nanostructures.