Role of hydrogen bonding on the self-organization of phenyleneethynylenes on surfaces

A series of carboxylic acid substituted phenyleneethynylenes, having a rigid backbone of 2.7 ± 0.1 nm, were synthesized by following the Heck-Cassar-Sonagashira-Hagihara cross-coupling reaction. Hydrogen bonding, through the formation of cyclic dimers of carboxylic acid, is more preferred over catemeric structures in all the molecular systems under investigation. The formation of extended two-dimensional patterns on highly oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) surface is dictated by the position as well as number of the carboxylic acid groups on the phenyleneethynylenes. Highly ordered extended arrangements, in the linear and stepwise fashion, were observed when the carboxylic acid groups are attached in the para and meta positions of phenyleneethynylenes. The vital role of the number of carboxylic acid on the organization of molecules is evident in the case of tetracarboxylic acid derivative wherein a Kagome-type structure was observed. Further, the coassembly of two types of phenyleneethynylenes was achieved on HOPG surface through acid base interaction.