Molecular Nanostructures Covalently Assembled on Functionalized Oxides

There is both academic and industrial interest in the development of nanostructures that may find applications in various electronic, magnetic and/or photonic devices. The efficient transfer of molecular properties to solid materials is of prime importance. Engineering of inorganic surfaces by covalent bonding of functional molecules represents a suitable approach for the synthesis of these nanomaterials. Moreover, the obtained nanostructures often show properties strongly dependent on their chemical environment and, therefore, behave as stimuli-responsive materials (SRMs). SRMs ideally undergo reversible changes in one or more properties (structure, phase morphology, optical, electrical, magnetic and mechanical response, etc.) upon application / removal of an external stimulus, such as a change in temperature, polarity, ionic strength, pH, electric, magnetic or mechanical fields or by chemical, optical, or biological triggers. Structural control at the molecular level is essential to create materials and ordered films with desirable macroscopic properties. In this context, the control of molecular structure and dynamics is of major importance from the perspective of designing SRM-based devices. The bottom-up method adopted in the present study is a suitable approach for the synthesis of well-organized molecular structures anchored to appropriate substrates, for facile integration within electronic and/or optic devices.1-2 Device-quality materials must meet a number of stringent criteria, including long-term thermal, chemical, photochemical, and mechanical stability. Innovative design of new assembly techniques and a thorough fundamental understanding have been pursued to further improve the development of nanostructure technology.