IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-29429-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Freestanding non-covalent thin films of the propeller-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon decacyclene

Author

Listed:
  • Alex Ham

    (Leiden University)

  • Xue Liu

    (Leiden University
    Xi’an Jiaotong University)

  • Dario Calvani

    (Leiden University)

  • Adéla Melcrová

    (Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

  • Melania Kozdra

    (Leiden University)

  • Francesco Buda

    (Leiden University)

  • Herman S. Overkleeft

    (Leiden University)

  • Wouter H. Roos

    (Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

  • Dmitri V. Filippov

    (Leiden University)

  • Grégory F. Schneider

    (Leiden University)

Abstract

Molecularly thin, nanoporous thin films are of paramount importance in material sciences. Their use in a wide range of applications requires control over their chemical functionalities, which is difficult to achieve using current production methods. Here, the small polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon decacyclene is used to form molecular thin films, without requiring covalent crosslinking of any kind. The 2.5 nm thin films are mechanically stable, able to be free-standing over micrometer distances, held together solely by supramolecular interactions. Using a combination of computational chemistry and microscopic imaging techniques, thin films are studied on both a molecular and microscopic scale. Their mechanical strength is quantified using AFM nanoindentation, showing their capability of withstanding a point load of 26 ± 9 nN, when freely spanning over a 1 μm aperture, with a corresponding Young’s modulus of 6 ± 4 GPa. Our thin films constitute free-standing, non-covalent thin films based on a small PAH.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Ham & Xue Liu & Dario Calvani & Adéla Melcrová & Melania Kozdra & Francesco Buda & Herman S. Overkleeft & Wouter H. Roos & Dmitri V. Filippov & Grégory F. Schneider, 2022. "Freestanding non-covalent thin films of the propeller-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon decacyclene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-29429-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29429-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-29429-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-29429-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-29429-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.