Biaxial aromatics with face-on/edge-on stacking adaptability: an STM/STS study of 1D nanowires assembled via rotatable ethynyls

Abstract

Scanning tunnelling microscopy/spectroscopy reveals significant electronic communications between edge-on biphenyl moieties of a benzene core derivatised biaxially with four ethynyl-biphenyls. The key to the successful assembly of conjugated 1D nanowires is the rotatable features of ethynyls, which allow dual adaptability of edge-on and face-on orientations for the aromatic rings.