Scanning tunneling microscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy investigation of the sexithiophene:C₆₀ donor-acceptor nanostructure formation on graphite Available to Purchase

The organic donor-acceptor nanostructure formation processes of C₆₀ and α-sexithiophene (6T) on graphite are monitored by in situ low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and synchrotron-based photoelectron spectroscopy experiments. It is found that the intermolecular interaction between C₆₀ and 6T plays a key role in the formation of organic nanostructures on graphite. Room temperature deposition of C₆₀ on the 6T monolayer on the weakly interacting graphite substrate results in the coexistence of three energetically stable structural motifs with a well-defined supramolecular arrangement, including C₆₀ zigzag filament, C₆₀ hexagon and C₆₀−pair filament, and hence the formation of C₆₀:6T molecular glass on graphite. Our results show that only the thermally stable C₆₀ zigzag filaments can develop into a long-range ordered two-dimensional C₆₀ zigzag chain array by annealing the system at 350 K.