Alternately deposited heterostructures of alpha-sexithiophene-para-hexaphenyl on muscovite mica(001) surfaces: crystallographic structure and morphology

作者:Djuric Tatjana*; Hernandez Sosa Gerardo; Schwabegger Guenther; Koini Markus; Hesser Guenter; Arndt Martin; Brinkmann Martin; Sitter Helmut; Simbrunner Clemens; Resel Roland
来源:Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2012, 22(30): 15316-15325.
DOI:10.1039/c2jm32023a

摘要

Multi-component systems of para-hexaphenyl (p-6P) and alpha-sexithiophene (alpha-6T) molecules show great promise for tuning the fluorescence colour of optically active films. As the opto-electronic properties of rod-like molecules in thin films strongly rely on their anisotropic orientation, a technique for preparation of well-defined, anisotropic multicomponent systems is required. We demonstrate that a p-6P film of less than two nanometer thickness grown on muscovite mica(001) substrates acts as an efficient alignment layer for epitaxial growth of alpha-6T crystallites. On top of such a p-6P alignment layer, multilayer heterostructures of alternately deposited p-6P and alpha-6T molecules were grown. Combined X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies show that molecules forming alpha-6T crystallites align parallel to those in the p-6P crystallites leading to the perfect adoption of their herring-bone structures. This alignment is desirable for optical applications and we show that it is preserved for heterostructures composed of up to 120 alternately deposited p-6P (0.8 nm) and alpha-6T (3.4 nm) nominal layers (120 cycles). Although for co-evaporated alpha-6T-p-6P molecules formation of a mixed crystal polymorph is reported, we show that in periodically deposited alpha-6T-p-6P heterostructures phase separation occurs and both molecules crystallize in their well-known equilibrium structures.

  • 出版日期2012