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Published on: March 5, 2019
Solvent Mediated Nanoscale Quasi-Periodic Chirality Reversal in Self-Assembled Molecular Networks Featuring Mirror
Kyohei Yamagata1, Matsuhiro Maeda1, Zeno Tessari2
1Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, 214-8571, Japan.
Abstract:
Grain boundaries in polycrystals have a prominent impact on the properties of a material, therefore stimulating the research on grain boundary engineering. Structure determination of grain boundaries of molecule-based polycrystals with submolecular resolution remains elusive. Reducing the complexity to monolayers has the potential to simplify grain boundary engineering and may offer real-space imaging with submolecular resolution using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Herein, the authors report the observation of quasi-periodic nanoscale chirality switching in self-assembled molecular networks, in combination with twinning, as revealed by STM at the liquid/solid interface. The width of the chiral domain structure peaks at 12-19 nm. Adjacent domains having opposite chirality are connected continuously through interdigitated alkoxy chains forming a 1D defect-free domain border, reflecting a mirror twin boundary. Solvent co-adsorption and the inherent conformational adaptability of the alkoxy chains turn out to be crucial factors in shaping grain boundaries. Moreover, the epitaxial interaction with the substrate plays a role in the nanoscale chirality reversal as well.
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