Building supramolecular nanostructures on surfaces: the influence of the substrate

Recent advances in supramolecular chemistry enable the construction of novel nanostructures in solution and the solid state. We present an investigation of the supramolecular organisation of a prototypical charged macrocycle — the self-complementary tetracationic cyclophane — on a surface using scanninng tunnelling microscopy. On the graphite surface the cyclophanes stand upright and self-organise into ordered nanotubes running along symmetry directions of the surface. The stacking of the cyclophanes within these nanotubes is quite different from the structural motifs found in the solid state. The findings open the possibility to use a surface to create previously unattainable structures and devices.