Formation of Highly Ordered Molecular Porous 2D Networks from Cyano-Functionalized Porphyrins on Cu(111).

We investigated the adsorption of three related cyano-functionalized tetraphenyl porphyrin derivatives on Cu(111) by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) with the goal to identify the role of the cyano group and the central Cu atom for the intermolecular and supramolecular arrangement. The porphyrin derivatives studied were Cu-TCNPP, Cu-cisDCNPP, and 2H-cisDCNPP, that is, Cu-5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(p-cyano)-phenylporphyrin, Cu-meso-cis-di(p-cyano)-phenylporphyrin and 2H-meso-cis-di(p-cyano)-phenylporphyrin, respectively. Starting from different structures obtained after deposition at room temperature, all three molecules form the same long-range ordered hexagonal honeycomb-type structure with triangular pores and three molecules per unit cell. For the metal-free 2H-cisDCNPP, this occurs only after self-metalation upon heating. The structure-forming elements are pores with a distance of 3.1 nm, formed by triangles of porphyrins fused together by cyano-Cu-cyano interactions with Cu adatoms. This finding leads us to suggest that two cyano-phenyl groups in the "cis" position is the minimum prerequisite to form a highly ordered 2D porous molecular pattern. The experimental findings are supported by detailed density functional theory calculations to analyze the driving forces that lead to the formation of the porous hexagonal honeycomb-type structure.

Porphyrin Metalation at MgO Surfaces: A Spectroscopic and Quantum Mechanical Study on Complementary Model Systems.

We show that both single-crystalline and nanostructured MgO surfaces convert free-base tetraphenyl porphyrin (2HTPP) into magnesium tetraphenyl porphyrin (MgTPP) at room temperature. The reaction can be viewed as an ion exchange between the two aminic protons of the 2HTPP molecule with a Mg(2+) ion from the surface. The driving force for the reaction is the strong stability of the formed hydroxyl groups along the steps and at defects on the MgO surface. We have used an integrated characterization approach that includes UV/Vis diffuse reflectance measurements on nanostructured powders, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic investigation of atomically clean MgO(100) single-crystalline thin films, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations on model systems. The DFT calculations demonstrate that MgTPP formation is strongly exothermic at the corners, edges and steps, but slightly endothermic on terrace sites. This agrees well with the UV/Vis diffuse reflectance, which upon adsorption of 2HTPP shows a decrease in the absorption band associated with corner and edge sites on MgO nanocube powders.

Binary supramolecular networks of bridged triphenylamines with different substituents and identical scaffolds.

Based on scanning tunneling microscopy experiments combined with density functional theory, we report the formation and the electronic structure of porous binary supramolecular networks on Au(111). The two triphenylamine derivatives with identical scaffolds intermix due to a maximization of the overall number of H-bonds instead of an optimization of the H-bond strength in the bonding motif. The HOMO-LUMO gap is defined by both molecules, which is typical for electron donor-acceptor networks.

"Inverted" porphyrins: a distorted adsorption geometry of free-base porphyrins on Cu(111).

Based on density functional theory calculations combined with experimental results, we report and discuss an extremely distorted, "inverted" adsorption geometry of free-base tetraphenylporphyrin on Cu(111). The current findings yield new insights into a well-studied system, shedding light on the peculiar molecule-substrate interaction and the resulting intramolecular conformation.