2D self-assembling of 4, 5- didodecylthiolphthalonitrile on graphite surface

An important precursor 4,5-didodecylthiolph- thalonitrile (DCP) for synthesis of phthalocyanines (Pcs) and subphthalocyanines (SubPcs) was synthesized and the as-sembling structure of this molecule on the basal plane of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface was characterized using the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in ambient conditions. In high-resolution images of the molecules, we found that the arrangement of the cyano groups forms a head-to-head configuration to keep the stability of the entire system. The mismatch of the DCP molecules with the substrate lattice has also been observed in the experiment.