Long-Range Orientational Self-Assembly, Spatially Controlled Deprotonation, and Off-Centered Metalation of an Expanded Porphyrin

• Expanded porphyrins are large-cavity macro cycles with enormous potential in coordination chemistry, anion sensing, photodynamic therapy, and optoelectronics. In the last two decades, the surface science community has assessed the physicochemical properties of tetrapyrrolic-like macrocydes. However, to date, the sublimation, self-assembly and atomistic insights of expanded porphyrins on surfaces have remained elusive. Here, we show the self-assembly on Au(111) of an expanded aza-porphyrin, namely, an "expanded hemi-spatially-controlled porphyrazine", through a unique growth mechanism based on deprotonation long-range orientational self-assembly. Furthermore, a spatially controlled "writing" protocol on such self-assembled architecture is presented based on the STM tip-induced deprotonation of the inner protons of individual macrocydes. Finally, the capability of these surface-confined macrocydes to host lanthanide elements is assessed, introducing a novel off-centered coordination motif. The presented findings represent a milestone in the fields of porphyrinoid chemistry and surface science, revealing a great potential for novel surface patterning, opening new avenues for molecular level information storage, and boosting the emerging field of surface-confined coordination chemistry involving f-block elements.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Annan kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Other Chemistry Topics (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)