Scientific Achievement
Using the Molecular Foundry, researchers show that charged molecules that would normally repel one another have been observed to attract each other on graphene due to a novel self-assembly mechanism
Significance and Impact
A new self-assembly mechanism should apply to other charged molecular systems involving 2D materials and provides a new route to engineer useful nanostructures
Research Details
- Charged F4TCNQ molecules were observed to form tightly packed molecular islands on graphene supported by boron nitride.
- Atomic force microscopy was used to investigate the atomic-scale structure of 2D molecular islands on graphene.
- Molecular island formation was explained by a novel self-assembly mechanism for charged molecules in a poorly screened environ- ment where nanoscale work function heterogeneity exists.
