Assemblies of porphyrin and phthalocyanine derivatives studied by STM

Abstract

Porphyrins and phthalocyanines are currently a prevalent topic with great potential due to their abundant photonic/electronic properties. The study of porphyrin or phthalocyanine supramolecular architectures on solid surfaces is laying the foundation for the further development of molecular electronics or other structures in applications. Above all, the invention of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has opened a new path to explore these concepts on surfaces. Self-assemblies on solid surfaces can be probed with STM at submolecular resolutions to disclose the conformations and arrangements of molecules on an individual molecule basis. In this paper, the progress of STM research on porphyrin and phthalocyanine derivatives over past ten years is reviewed. We introduce the self-assembled structures of different porphyrins or phthalocyanines. Throughout the review, the structures, thermodynamics, and dynamics have been emphasized, which are essential current and future research themes.