Ab-Initio Simulation Laboratory

Citation:

Gruznev, D. V., Matetskiy A. V., Bondarenko L. V., Utas O. A., Zotov A. V., Saranin A. A., Chou J. P., Wei C. M., Lai M. Y., & Wang Y. L. (2013).  Stepwise self-assembly of C-60 mediated by atomic scale moiré magnifiers. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS. 4, 1679., {APR}

Abstract:

Self-assembly of atoms or molecules on a crystal surface is considered one of the most promising methods to create molecular devices. Here we report a stepwise self-assembly of C60 molecules into islands with unusual shapes and preferred sizes on a gold–indium-covered Si(111) surface. Specifically, 19-mer islands prefer a non-compact boomerang shape, whereas hexagonal 37-mer islands exhibit extraordinarily enhanced stability and abundance. The stepwise self-assembly is mediated by the moiré interference between an island with its underlying lattice, which essentially maps out the adsorption-energy landscape of a C60 on different positions of the surface with a lateral magnification factor and dictates the probability for the subsequent attachment of C60 to an island’s periphery. Our discovery suggests a new method for exploiting the moiré interference to dynamically assist the self-assembly of particles and provides an unexplored tactic of engineering atomic scale moiré magnifiers to facilitate the growth of monodispersed mesoscopic structures.

Notes:

n/a