Growth of optically active p-phenylene needles on mica

Structural and optical properties of p-phenylene oligomers (p-nP, n = 4, 5, 6) grown on mica (0 0 0 1) are investigated via low energy electron diffraction (LEED) using a multi-channelplate LEED as well as linear absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy. Single-crystalline fibres of laying p-6P molecules with lengths of up to 1 mm are grown at elevated mica surface temperatures. The needles are mutually parallel oriented and form large domains of size 20 x 10 mm(2). Their orientation on the surface is controlled by interaction with surface dipole fields. These fibres allow us easy polarization control of absorbed ultraviolet and emitted blue light. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.