Computer modeling of 2D supramolecular nanoporous monolayers self-assembled on graphite†
Résumé
Nano-porous two-dimensional molecular crystals, self-assembled on atomically flat host surfaces offer a
broad range of possible applications, from molecular electronics to future nano-machines. Computerassisted
designing of such complex structures requires numerically intensive modeling methods. Here we
present the results of extensive, fully atomistic simulations of self-assembled monolayers of interdigitated
molecules of 1,3,5-tristyrilbenzene substituted by C6 alkoxy peripheral chains (TSB3,5-C6), deposited
onto highly-ordered pyrolytic graphite. Structural and electronic properties of the TSB3,5-C6 molecules
were determined from ab initio calculations, then used in Molecular Dynamics simulations to analyze the
mechanism of formation, epitaxy, and stability of the TSB3,5-C6 nanoporous superlattice. We show that
the monolayer disordering results from the competition between flexibility of the C6 chains and their
stabilization by interdigitation. The inclusion of guest molecules (benzene and pyrene) into superlattice
nanopores stabilizes the monolayer. The alkoxy chain mobility and available pore space defines the
systems dynamics, essential for potential application.