Two-Dimensional Molecular Network Built from Hierarchy Self-Assembly of Perylene Bisimide Derivatives

The structures of two-dimensional (2D) self-assembled molecular networks formed by a series of perylene bisimide (PBI) derivatives were investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). By introducing different functional groups to the PBI rings, we successfully built a different self-assembled molecular network on the liquid–solid interface. When the substituent is propanol, PBI is aligned in lines. When we introduced either an ester group or an amide group to the PBI compounds, they tended to form dimers and trimers. Especially, the PBI with the amide groups can form a 2D porous molecular network by hierarchy self-assembly. The 2D porous molecular network has a great potential to be the host molecule for the accommodation of a guest molecule, coronene (COR), and the structure of the 2D porous molecular network can be tuned by varying the concentration. The density functional theory calculations were also performed to disclose the mechanisms involved.