Assembly and Processing of Hydrogen Bond Induced Supramolecular Nanostructures

The adsorption of a diimide derivative (NTCDI) of naphthalene tetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA) on the Ag/Si(111)-√3 × √3R30° surface has been investigated using ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Hydrogen bonding, mediated by the imide groups, controls the ordering of adsorbed molecules, resulting in extended rows up to 20 nm in length with an intermolecular separation of 1.5 lattice constants. A near-identical row motif is observed in the molecular packing of crystalline NTCDI. Tip-adsorbate interactions lead to modification and repositioning of supramolecular nanostructures.