Multicomponent monolayer architectures at the solid-liquid interface: Towards controlled space-confined properties and reactivity of functional building blocks

The novel approaches used for the self-assembly of multicomponent 2D nanostructures at the solid-liquid interface and their characterization on the submolecular scale by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies were investigated. It was found that the controlled formation of ordered multicomponent nanostructures with a periodic structural motif was not trivial as most binary mixtures are prone to undergo phase segregation or to form randomly mixed domains. The controlled co-deposition of two components was proven to be a viable approach to govern the orientation of a discotic system with respect to the basal plane of the graphite substrate. STM at the solid-liquid interface has proven to be a useful tool to study the self assembly of nucleic acids. A precise self-assembly can be accomplished through specific and directional noncovalent interactions between molecules by tuning parameters such as the molar ratio, solvent, and temperature.