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Bilayer Molecular Assembly at a Solid/Liquid Interface as Triggered by a Mild Electric Field
Author(s) -
Zheng QingNa,
Liu XuanHe,
Liu XingRui,
Chen Ting,
Yan HuiJuan,
Zhong YuWu,
Wang Dong,
Wan LiJun
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201406523
Subject(s) - interface (matter) , electric field , bilayer , materials science , field (mathematics) , nanotechnology , chemical physics , engineering physics , chemistry , physics , membrane , composite material , mathematics , capillary number , capillary action , pure mathematics , biochemistry , quantum mechanics
The construction of a spatially defined assembly of molecular building blocks, especially in the vertical direction, presents a great challenge for surface molecular engineering. Herein, we demonstrate that an electric field applied between an STM tip and a substrate triggered the formation of a bilayer structure at the solid–liquid interface. In contrast to the typical high electric‐field strength (10 9 V m −1 ) used to induce structural transitions in supramolecular assemblies, a mild electric field (10 5 V m −1 ) triggered the formation of a bilayer structure of a polar molecule on top of a nanoporous network of trimesic acid on graphite. The bilayer structure was transformed into a monolayer kagome structure by changing the polarity of the electric field. This tailored formation and large‐scale phase transformation of a molecular assembly in the perpendicular dimension by a mild electric field opens perspectives for the manipulation of surface molecular nanoarchitectures.