PChem Seminar – PhD Student Matt Beckman

About the event

Speaker: Matt Beckman

Group: Hipps/Mazur

Title: Substituent and Isomeric Effects on Self-Assembled Phthalocyanine Monolayers on HOPG 0001 as Studied by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and DFT Calculations

Abstract:

Phthalocyanines are a family of planar, macrocyclic, organic molecules that have garnered a great deal of research interest for their unique spectroscopic and nanomechanical properties. While generally insoluble, upon substitution with alkoxy functional groups, phthalocyanines can be rendered soluble in organic solvents, and can readily form Self-Assembled Monolayers (SAMs) on surfaces. These SAMs are gaining interest in their potential applications in the fields of thin film sensing and electronics. However, the conditions that influence the formation and structural character of the formed SAMs are complex, with factors such as environmental conditions, adsorbed structure, isomeric effects, and substituent identity all playing a role in the SAM character. Therefore, understanding and characterizing the influence of differing substituents and isomeric effects involved in the formation of SAMs is vital for the design, assessment, and future application of SAMs in the future. The research covered in this talk will discuss the application of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Density Functional Theory calculations to characterize the SAMs formed by 4 phthalocyanine species with differing substituents, central metals, and symmetries.