Layer Dependent Wetting in Parahexaphenyl Thin Film Growth on Graphene

In order to exploit graphene (Gr) as a transparent electrode in organic optoelectronics, a profound understanding of molecular wetting and diffusion processes on this material is essential. Properties of Gr like band structure, work function, or elasticity depend significantly on the layer number. Here, we report on Gr layer dependent differences in the growth morphologies of hot wall epitaxy deposited sub-monolayer thin films of the one-dimensional conjugated parahexaphenyl (6P) molecule on exfoliated Gr/SiO2. At deposition temperatures around 363 K, 6P forms straight needles arranged in regular networks on single layer graphene. Within the first four Gr layers, the average needle height increases and the average needle length decreases thereby reducing the specific 6P-Gr interface area. The variations in morphology and wetting behavior with the Gr layer number arise from changes in the growth kinetics induced by differences in adhesion and diffusion properties with Gr thickness. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2014.31]