Prof. Paolo Samorì "From chemical complexity to multifunctional low-dimensional materials"

Responsive supramolecularly engineered hybrid materials are key in multifunctional (opto)electronics. However, their practical use requires the optimization of the self-assembly of multimodular architectures at surfaces using non-conventional methods, their controlled manipulation and responsiveness to external stimuli, and the quantitative study of various physico-chemical properties at distinct length- and time-scales. My lecture will review our recent findings on:

(i) The STM monitoring of the reversible on-surface reactivity under thermodynamic control making use for the first time of dynamic covalent chemistry approaches at the solid-liquid interface. We focused our attention to the double imine formation between 4-(hexadecyloxy)benzaldehyde and different α,ω-diamines as well as reversible bistransimination. In particular, we provided direct evidence of the ability of adsorption free energy to act as a physical agent that shift equilibriums and eventually drives completion of a reaction thereby selecting a given constituent of a dynamic covalent library. [1]

(ii) The harnessing of the yield of exfoliation of graphene in liquid media by mastering the supramolecular approach via combination with ad-hoc functional molecules, leading ultimately to the bottom-up formation of optically responsive graphene based nanocomposites for electronics. [2]

(iii) The combination of graphene and polymeric semiconductors to improve the electrical properties of the two components [3] and to fabricate memories.[4]

(iv) The tailoring multicomponent films comprising photochromic systems and semiconducting molecules, and their exploitation to realise multifunctional devices such as optically switchable field-effect transistors. [5]

[1] A. Ciesielski, M. El Garah, S. Haar, P. Kovaříček, J.-M. Lehn, P. Samorì, Nat. Chem. 2014, 6, 1017-1023.
[2] (a) A. Ciesielski, P. Samorì, Chem. Soc. Rev. 2014, 43, 381-398; (b) A. Ciesielski, S. Haar, M. El Gemayel, H. Yang, J. Clough, G. Melinte, M. Gobbi, E. Orgiu, M.V. Nardi, G. Ligorio, V. Palermo, N. Koch, O. Ersen, C. Casiraghi, P. Samorì, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 10355–10361. (c) S. Haar, A. Ciesielski, J. Clough, H. Yang, R. Mazzaro, F. Richard, S. Conti, N. Merstorf, M. Cecchini, V. Morandi, C. Casiraghi, P. Samorì, Small, 2015, 11, 1691–1702.
[3] M. El Gemayel, S. Haar, F. Liscio, A. Schlierf, G. Melinte, S.  Milita, O. Ersen, A. Ciesielski, V. Palermo, P. Samorì,  Adv. Mater. 2014, 26, 4814-4819.
[4] T.  Mosciatti, S. Haar, F. Liscio, A. Cieselski, E. Orgiu, P. Samorì, ACS Nano 2015, 9, 2357–236
[5] (a) G. Pace, V. Ferri, C. Grave, M. Elbing, M. Zharnikov, M. Mayor, M.A. Rampi, P. Samorì, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2007, 104, 9937. (b) V. Ferri, M. Elbing, G. Pace, M.D. Dickey, M. Zharnikov, P. Samorì, M. Mayor, M.A. Rampi, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 3407. (c) J. Mativetsky, G. Pace, M.A. Rampi, M. Mayor, P. Samorì, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 9192. (d) N. Crivillers, E. Orgiu, F. Reinders, M. Mayor, P. Samorì, Adv. Mater. 2011, 23, 1447.  (e) C. Raimondo, N. Crivillers, F. Reinders, F. Sander, M. Mayor, P. Samorì, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2012, 109, 12375. (f) E. Orgiu, N. Crivillers, M. Herder, L. Grubert, M. Pätzel, J. Frisch, E. Pavlica, G. Bratina, N. Koch, S. Hecht, P. Samorì, Nat. Chem. 2012, 4, 675. (g) M. El Gemayel, K. Börjesson, M. Herder, D. T. Duong, J.A. Hutchison, C. Ruzié, G. Schweicher, A. Salleo, Y. Geerts, S. Hecht, E. Orgiu, P. Samorì, Nature Commun., 2015, 6, 6330

invited by Dr. Michael Sommer