Fullerene Band-Like Assembly Induced by a Donor-π-Acceptor Molecular Template on Au(111) Electrode Surface

Fullerene has been extensively used in functional devices requiring electron transfer between fullerene and functional molecules. The investigation of multi. component assembly structures of fullerene and functional molecules on electrode surfaces will benefit the fabrication of fullerene based nanodevices as well as the study of their fundamental physical and chemical properties. The two dimensional (2D) self. assembly structure of C-60 and the donor-pi-acceptor molecule Z-beta-5-hexadecyloxy-1,3,3-trimethyl-2-indolium)-alpha-cyano-4-styryldicyanomethanide (C16H33O- I3CNQ) on an Au(111) electrode surface was investigated by electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (ECSTM) in HClO4. The C16H33O-I3CNQ molecules self. organized into a short. ranged ordered structure on the Au(111) surface. C-60 molecules formed band. like assembly structures templated by the C16H33O-I3CNQ adlayer. The orientation of the C60 band structure is controlled by the arrangement of the donor-pi-acceptor moieties. pi-pi stacking interactions and charge transfer between C-60 and C16H33O-I3CNQ may contribute to the formation of the C-60 band. like assembly. The results reported here are expected to provide a new approach for the fabrication of fullerene films and functional devices.