2D supramolecular structures of a shape-persistent macrocycle and co-deposition with fullerene on HOPG

Two 2D supramolecular structures of macrocycle 1 and 1/C60 have been obtained on HOPG by self-assembly under ambient conditions and investigated by high-resolution STM. The monolayers of 1 are characterized by structures with perfect ordering over relatively large areas. In the case of 1/C60, the size of the macrocycle 1 and the presence of two individual bithiophene units per ring lead in the final superstructure to a 1:2 stoichiometry. The fullerenes are not trapped at the graphite surface inside the macrocyclic holes but are located around the periphery of the bithiophene units. This clearly shows that the donor-acceptor interaction between C60 and the electron-rich units of the ring is the dominant factor for the structure formation.