On-Surface Synthesis of Rylene-Type Graphene Nanoribbons

Zhang H, Lin H, Sun K, Chen L, Zagranyarski Y, Aghdassi N, Duhm S, Li Q, Zhong D, Li Y, Müllen K, Fuchs H, Chi LF

Zusammenfassung

The narrowest armchair graphene nanoribbon (AGNR) with five carbons across the width of the GNR (5-AGNR) was synthesized on Au(111) surfaces via sequential dehalogenation processes in a mild condition by using 1,4,5,8-tetrabromonaphthalene as the molecular precursor. Gold-organic hybrids were observed by using high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and considered as intermediate states upon AGNR formation. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals an unexpectedly large band gap of Δ = 2.8 ± 0.1 eV on Au(111) surface which can be interpreted by the hybridization of the surface states and the molecular states of the 5-AGNR.