1-D and 2-D Patterning of Strongly Physisorbed Monolayers on HOPG: Strategies and Template Applications

在这个由化学学部大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目资助的项目中，布朗大学的Matthew Zimmt将研究如何稳定石墨上的物理吸附单层，以实现这些纳米周期结构的实际使用和应用。需要探索的模式策略包括调节带有偶极基团的脂肪链之间的静电相互作用，定制alkadine链的包装，以及吸附分子的异芳核心之间的静电相互作用。要测试的单层稳定策略包括使用极长脂肪链，聚合双炔侧链和聚合功能化芳香族核心。从单分子层中分子的芳香族核心突出的官能团将被用作捕获元素，使图案单分子层作为超高分辨率（小于10纳米尺寸的特征）的平面模板用于捕获聚合物，纳米颗粒和生物分子。更广泛的影响包括培训本科生和研究生，通过接待来自布拉格捷克技术大学的研究生访客来加强研究基础设施，以及通过出版物、在国家会议上的演讲和软件开发来广泛传播研究成果，以纠正STM中的热漂移。现代纳米化学的主要挑战之一是引导非常小的化学物体在大范围内自发地组装成精确、有用的图案。如果成功，该项目将产生新的策略，用于制备稳定的，具有一个分子厚度和极高结合位点密度的图案模板。结合位点模式将指导许多其他化学物质的组装成精确的二维模式。最终，这项工作可能会在化学传感、纳米电子学、太阳能转换和生物医学材料等领域得到应用。

In this project funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry, Matthew Zimmt of Brown University will study ways to stabilize physisorbed monolayers on graphite in order to enable practical uses and applications of these nanoperiodic structures. Patterning strategies to be explored include modulating electrostatic interactions between aliphatic chains bearing dipolar groups, tailored packing of alkadiyne chains, and electrostatic interactions between heteroaromatic cores of adsorbing molecules. Monolayer stabilization strategies to be tested include using extremely long aliphatic chains, polymerizing diyne side chains, and polymerizing functionalized aromatic cores. Functional groups projecting from the aromatic cores of molecules in the monolayers will be used as capture elements, enabling patterned monolayers to function as ultra-high resolution (less than 10 nm size features) planar templates for capturing polymers, nanoparticles and biomolecules. The broader impacts involve training undergraduate and graduate students, enhancing research infrastructure through hosting graduate student visitors from the Czech Technical University in Prague, and broadly disseminating research results through publications, presentations at national meetings, and software development to correct for thermal drifts in STM.One of the major challenges of modern nanochemistry is to guide very small chemical objects to assemble spontaneously into precise, useful patterns over large areas. If successful, this project will yield novel strategies for the preparation of stable, patterned templates with a thickness of one molecule and an extremely high density of binding sites. The binding site patterns will direct the assembly of many other chemical species into precise, two dimensional patterns. Ultimately, such work could lead to applications in the fields of chemical sensing, nanoscale electronics, solar energy conversion, and biomedical materials.