Macroscopic Hierarchical Surface Patterning of Porphyrin Trimers via Self-Assembly and Dewetting

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 314; no. 5804; pp. 1433 - 1436
• Main Authors: Hameren, Richard Van, Schön, Peter, Buul, Arend M. Van, Hoogboom, Johan, Lazarenko, Sergiy V, Gerritsen, Jan W, Engelkamp, Hans, Christianen, Peter C.M, Heus, Hans A, Maan, Jan C, Rasing, Theo, Speller, Sylvia, Rowan, Alan E, Elemans, Johannes A.A.W, Nolte, Roeland J.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 01-12-2006; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Cell aggregates; Columnar crystals; Construction; Crystals; Dewetting; Evaporation; Exact sciences and technology; Glass; Liquid crystals; Mica; Micrometers; Molecules; Organic polymers; Parallel lines; Physicochemistry of polymers; Porphyrins; Properties and characterization; Self assembly; Solvents; Structure, morphology and analysis; Trimers; Self assembly; Nitrogen heterocycle polymer; Trimer; Liquid solid interface; Branched polymer; Film; Experimental study; Oligomer; Growth from solution; Porphyrin derivatives; Surface structure
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1133004

The use of bottom-up approaches to construct patterned surfaces for technological applications is appealing, but to date is applicable to only relatively small areas (~10 square micrometers). We constructed highly periodic patterns at macroscopic length scales, in the range of square millimeters, by combining self-assembly of disk-like porphyrin dyes with physical dewetting phenomena. The patterns consisted of equidistant 5-nanometer-wide lines spaced 0.5 to 1 micrometers apart, forming single porphyrin stacks containing millions of molecules, and were formed spontaneously upon drop-casting a solution of the molecules onto a mica surface. On glass, thicker lines are formed, which can be used to align liquid crystals in large domains of square millimeter size.