Phase transition of a single sheet of sashlike polydiacetylene atomic sash on a solid surface.

The phase transition of sashlike polydiacetylene (PD) atomic sash in an extrathin (0.4 nm) vapor-deposited monolayer on a graphite (0001) surface has been observed by in-situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The conformation of the atomic sash composed of a row of lying alkyl chains stitched up with a PD chain is different around the crossing points of the alkyl and PD chains in the two phases, and hence the contrast of the STM image is different in the middle of the sashes. The difference is associated with the color transition of bulk PDs.