Self-Assembly of N-Rich Triimidazoles on Ag(111): Mixing the Pleasures and Pains of Epitaxy and Strain.

In the present report, homochiral hydrogen-bonded assemblies of heavily N-doped (C9H6N6) heterocyclic triimidazole (TT) molecules on an Ag(111) substrate were investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) techniques. The planar and prochiral TT molecules, which exhibit a threefold rotation symmetry and lack mirror symmetry when assembled on the substrate, carry multiple hydrogen-bonding donor and acceptor functionalities, inevitably leading to the formation of hexameric two-dimensionally extended assemblies that can be either homo- (RR/SS) or heterochiral (RS). Experimental STM data showing well-ordered homochiral domains and experimental LEED data are consistent with simulations assuming the R19.1° overlayer on the Ag(111) lattice. Importantly, we report the unexpected coincidence of spontaneous resolution with the condensation of neighboring islands in adjacent "Janus pairs". The islands are connected by a characteristic fault zone, an observation that we discuss in the context of the fairly symmetric molecule and its propensity to compromise and benefit from interisland bonding at the expense of lattice mismatches and strain in the defect zone. We relate this to the close to triangular shape and the substantial but weak bonding scheme beyond van der Waals (vdW) of the TT molecules, which is due to the three N-containing five-membered imidazole rings. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show clear energetic differences between homochiral and heterochiral pairwise interactions, clearly supporting the experimental results.

Induced Fit and Mobility of Cycloalkanes within Nanometer-Sized Confinements at 5 K.

Host-guest architectures provide ideal systems for investigating site-specific physical and chemical effects. Condensation events in nanometer-sized confinements are particularly interesting for the investigation of intermolecular and molecule-surface interactions. They may be accompanied by conformational adjustments representing induced fit packing patterns. Here, we report that the symmetry of small clusters formed upon condensation, their registry with the substrate, their lateral packing, and their adsorption height are characteristically modified by the packing of cycloalkanes in confinements. While cyclopentane and cycloheptane display cooperativity upon filling of the hosting pores, cyclooctane and to a lesser degree cyclohexane diffusively redistribute to more favored adsorption sites. The dynamic behavior of cyclooctane is surprising at 5 K given the cycloalkane melting point of >0 °C. The site-specific modification of the interaction and behavior of adsorbates in confinements plays a crucial role in many applications of three-dimensional porous materials as gas storage agents or catalysts/biocatalysts.