Coadsorption of TbIIIporphyrin double-decker single-molecule magnets in a porous molecular network: Toward controlled alignment of single-molecule magnets on a carbon surface

Abstract

A self-assembled monolayer of a mixture of radical 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrin (OEP)TbIII doubledecker (TbIII(OEP)2) single-molecule magnets and alkoxylated dehydrobenzo[12]annulene (DBA) at the 1-phenyloctane/highly oriented pyrolytic graphite interface was investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy. The observations revealed that single TbIII(OEP)2 molecules were incorporated in the 2D pores of the honeycomb structure formed by a DBA derivative containing octyloxy chains. The number of TbIII(OEP)2 molecules coadsorbed in the porous DBA networks increased with increasing concentration of the TbIII(OEP)2 radical solution.