A scanning tunneling microscopy study on self-assembled Fe(III) meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin chloride chains

Abstract Fe(III) meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin chloride (Fe-TCP chloride) molecules co-deposited together with 5-(octadecyloxy) isophthalic acid (5-OIA) molecules on a highly-ordered pyrolytic graphite were studied with the help of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) under ambient conditions. The measurements were carried out at solid–liquid interface. STM images show the formation of one-dimensional Fe-TCP chloride/5-OIA chains stretching tens of nanometers across the surface. The driving mechanism behind the formation of these chains is the physical interaction between the molecules.