Ordered Patterns of Copper Phthalocyanine Nanoflowers Grown Around Fe Islands on Au(111).

Template-assisted growth of ordered nanomaterials was used to prepare periodic copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) nanoparticles on the Au(111) substrate. The structures were studied by ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope (STM). At the first step, Fe atoms were deposited onto the reconstructed ( 22 × 3 ) Au(111) surface and they formed the array of triangular islands at the elbows of the herringbone reconstruction. High-purity CuPc molecules were subsequently evaporated to this prestructured surface at low coverages. CuPc molecules chose to adsorb at the edge of Fe islands and formed the flower-shaped ordered nanostructures. When the coverage reached ~ 1.0 monolayer, ordered CuPc nanoparticles situated on Fe islands with the self-assembled CuPc monolayer around. The method of template-assisted growth can be used to prepare other organic nanostructures which are stable at room temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]