Polycyclic aromatic chains on metals and insulating layers by repetitive [3+2] cycloadditions

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 1490
• Main Authors: Riss, Alexander, Richter, Marcus, Paz, Alejandro Pérez, Wang, Xiao-Ye, Raju, Rajesh, He, Yuanqin, Ducke, Jacob, Corral, Eduardo, Wuttke, Michael, Seufert, Knud, Garnica, Manuela, Rubio, Angel, V. Barth, Johannes, Narita, Akimitsu, Müllen, Klaus, Berger, Reinhard, Feng, Xinliang, Palma, Carlos-Andres, Auwärter, Willi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 20.03.2020; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 119/118; 140/58; 147/136; 147/138; 147/3; 639/638/298; Boron; Boron nitride; Catalysts; Chemical bonds; Chemical synthesis; Circuits; Copper; Coupling (molecular); Cycloaddition; Dehydrogenation; Electronic devices; Fabrication; Gold; Humanities and Social Sciences; Insulating layers; Interfaces; Intermediates; Ionization; Ions; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Metal surfaces; Metals; multidisciplinary; Optoelectronic devices; Organic materials; Polymers; Scanning probe microscopy; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Selectivity; Silver; Solid state; Substrates
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15210-2
• ISSN: 2041-1723

The vast potential of organic materials for electronic, optoelectronic and spintronic devices entails substantial interest in the fabrication of π-conjugated systems with tailored functionality directly at insulating interfaces. On-surface fabrication of such materials on non-metal surfaces remains to be demonstrated with high yield and selectivity. Here we present the synthesis of polyaromatic chains on metallic substrates, insulating layers, and in the solid state. Scanning probe microscopy shows the formation of azaullazine repeating units on Au(111), Ag(111), and h-BN/Cu(111), stemming from intermolecular homo-coupling via cycloaddition reactions of CN-substituted polycyclic aromatic azomethine ylide (PAMY) intermediates followed by subsequent dehydrogenation. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry demonstrates that the reaction also takes place in the solid state in the absence of any catalyst. Such intermolecular cycloaddition reactions are promising methods for direct synthesis of regioregular polyaromatic polymers on arbitrary insulating surfaces. A critical milestone for the advancement of nanoscale organic circuitry is the fabrication of well-defined conjugated polymers on non-metal substrates. Here, the authors demonstrate extended polycyclic aromatic chains from repetitive cycloadditions which form not only on metals, but also on boron nitride layers and in the solid state.