METAL-ORGANIC ASSEMBLIES

Computer Engineering electronics Engineering Civil Engineering

The assembly of metal-organic systems in solution and their associated studies has a tremendous impact on many aspects of chemistry. Such well-defined molecular architectures on surfaces are generating much attention, partly because of their potential use in gas storage and in electronic devices. The stepwise solid-state generation of metal-organic systems from solution has resulted in highly ordered structures, which are impossible to form or are not readily attainable by other methods. Molecular layer-by-layer self-assembly can yield highly ordered films whose physicochemical properties (i.e., thickness, optical properties) increase linearly with the number of deposited subunits. Exponential growth and/or self-propagating processes with molecular systems, where surface-bound assemblies actively participate rather than being static platforms with reactive end-groups for the incoming molecular layers, are rare. Utilizing a new assembly strategy, molecular-based materials have been obtained that are active participants in their continuing self-propagated assembly loading..