Synthesis, Structure, and Surface Adsorption Characteristics of a Polynuclear MnII,IV–YbIII Complex

The controlled adsorption of polynuclear coordination compounds with specific structural and electronic characteristics on surfaces is crucial for the prospective implementation of molecule–surface interfaces into practical electronic devices. From this perspective, a neutral 3d,4f-coordination cluster [MnII 3MnIVYb3O3(OH)­(L·SMe)3(OOCMe)9]·2MeCN·3EtOH (1·2MeCN·3EtOH), where L·SMe– is a Schiff base, has been synthesized and fully characterized and its adsorption on two different solid substrates, gold and graphite, has been studied. The mixed-valence compound with a bilayered metal core structure and the structurally exposed thioether groups exhibits a substantially different surface bonding to metallic gold and semimetallic graphite substrates. While on graphite the adsorption takes place only on distinguished attraction points with a locally increased number of potential bonding sites such as terrace edges and other surface defects, on gold the molecules were found to adsorb rather weakly on randomly distributed adsorption sites of the surface terraces. This entirely different behavior provides important information for the development of advanced surface materials that may enable well-distributed ordered molecular assemblies.