Photochemical Creation of Covalent Organic 2D Monolayer Objects in Defined Shapes via a Lithographic 2D Polymerization

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Marco Servalli - , ETH Zurich (Author)
  • Kemal Celebi - , ETH Zurich (Author)
  • Payam Payamyar - , Harvard University (Author)
  • Liqing Zheng - , ETH Zurich (Author)
  • Miroslav Položij - , Chair of Theoretical Chemistry, Leipzig University (Author)
  • Benjamin Lowe - , Leipzig University (Author)
  • Agnieszka Kuc - , Leipzig University, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (Author)
  • Tobias Schwarz - , ETH Zurich (Author)
  • Kerstin Thorwarth - , Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) (Author)
  • Andreas Borgschulte - , Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) (Author)
  • Thomas Heine - , Chair of Theoretical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (Author)
  • Renato Zenobi - , ETH Zurich (Author)
  • A. Dieter Schlüter - , ETH Zurich (Author)

Abstract

In this work we prepare Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers with a trifunctional amphiphilic anthraphane monomer. Upon spreading at the air/water interface, the monomers self-assemble into 1 nm-thin monolayer islands, which are highly fluorescent and can be visualized by the naked eye upon excitation. In situ fluorescence spectroscopy indicates that in the monolayers, all the anthracene units of the monomers are stacked face-to-face forming excimer pairs, whereas at the edges of the monolayers, free anthracenes are present acting as edge groups. Irradiation of the monolayer triggers [4 + 4]-cycloadditions among the excimer pairs, effectively resulting in a two-dimensional (2D) polymerization. The polymerization reaction also completely quenches the fluorescence, allowing to draw patterns on the monomer monolayers. More interestingly, after transferring the monomer monolayer on a solid substrate, by employing masks or the laser of a confocal scanning microscope, it is possible to arbitrarily select the parts of the monolayer that one wants to polymerize. The unpolymerized regions can then be washed away from the substrate, leaving 2D macromolecular monolayer objects of the desired shape. This photolithographic process employs 2D polymerizations and affords 1 nm-thin coatings.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)11294-11306
Number of pages13
JournalACS nano
Volume12
Issue number11
Publication statusPublished - 27 Nov 2018
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 30354049

Keywords

Keywords

  • 2D polymerization, air/water interface, anthracene, fluorescence, photolithography, self-assembled monolayers