Enabling and understanding new methodologies to fabricate molecular assemblies driven by intermolecular interactions is fundamental in chemistry. Such forces can be used to control crystal growth and enable surface-confinement of these materials, which remains challenging. Here we demonstrate for the first time, a solvent-free on-surface crystal-to-co-crystal conversion process driven by halogen bonding (XB). By exposing a polycrystalline organic material, consisting of a XB-acceptor moiety, to the vapors of a complementary XB-donor compound, the corresponding halogen-bonded co-crystals were formed. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this approach can also be utilized for non-crystalline materials to afford surface-confined organic composites. Our stepwise vapor-based approach offers a new strategy for the formation of hybrid supramolecular materials.

The prediction of supramolecular structures involving different weak interactions is challenging. In this study, single-atom modifications to the molecular structure allow us to address their hierarchy. The resulting series of unimolecular assemblies are mainly based on halogen bonding (XB), hydrogen bonding (HB), or a combination of both. By varying the XB donor (F, Cl, Br, and I) and the XB and HB acceptors (pyridine vs pyridine-N-oxide) we can control the primary motifs directing the structure.

We report here how the crystallinity of AuNPs and the choice of binding sites of molecular cross-linkers control their aggregation. The combination of different binding moieties (N-oxides, ArF-I) and the reactivity of the particles' facets allow control over the organization and crystallinity of the AuNP assemblies.

Halogen bonding between complementary organic monolayers was directly observed in an organic environment using force spectroscopy. This non-covalent interaction is significantly affected by the nature of the organic media. We also demonstrated the effect of lateral packing interactions on the optical properties of the monolayers.

To mix or not to mix: Integrated (left) and segregated (right) assemblies were obtained upon treating functionalized γ‐Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) with AuNPs. Their binary nature is controlled by the capping layer of the γ‐Fe2O3 NPs and the AuNP initial aggregation state. The segregated assembly formation is induced by AuNP aggregates which act as nucleation sites for growth of the γ‐Fe2O3 NP domains.