No abstract

On-surface synthesis made the fabrication of extended, atomically precise π-conjugated nanostructures on solid supports possible, with graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) and porphyrin-derived oligomers standing out. To date, examples combining these two prominent material classes are scarce, even though the chemically versatile porphyrins and the atomistic details of the nanographene spacers promise an easy tunability of structural and functional properties of the resulting hybrid structures. Here, we report the on-surface synthesis of extended benzenoid- and nonbenzenoid-coupled porphyrin–graphene nanoribbon hybrids by sequential Ullmann-type and cyclodehydrogenation reactions of a tailored Zn­(II) 5,15-bis­(5-bromo-1-naphthyl)­porphyrin (Por­(BrNaph)2) precursor on Au(111) and Ag(111). Using bond-resolved noncontact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we characterize the structures of reaction intermediates and products in detail and provide insight into the effects of the annealing protocol. We further demonstrate the stability and rigidity of the extended one-dimensional porphyrin–GNR oligomers by employing an STM-based manipulation procedure, which allows for spectroscopic measurement upon lifting.

Engineering quantum phenomena of two-dimensional nearly free electron states has been at the forefront of nanoscience studies ever since the first creation of a quantum corral. Common strategies to fabricate confining nanoarchitectures rely on manipulation or on applying supramolecular chemistry principles. The resulting nanostructures do not protect the engineered electronic states against external influences, hampering the potential for future applications. These restrictions could be overcome by passivating the nanostructures with a chemically inert layer. To this end we report a scalable segregation-based growth approach forming extended quasi-hexagonal nanoporous CuS networks on Cu(111) whose assembly is driven by an autoprotecting h-BN overlayer. We further demonstrate that by this architecture both the Cu(111) surface state and image potential states of the h-BN/CuS heterostructure are confined within the nanopores, effectively forming an extended array of quantum dots. Semiempirical electron-plane-wave-expansion simulations shed light on the scattering potential landscape responsible for the modulation of the electronic properties. The protective properties of the h-BN capping are tested under various conditions, representing an important step toward the realization of robust surface state based electronic devices.